Easter Sunday (B) April 8, 2012

St. John’s Anglican ChurchLunenburg, Nova Scotia

Rector: Archdeacon Michael H. Mitchell

Director of Music: Barbara Butler

Rector’s Message

Happy Easter everyone. For forty days, we have been on the journey ofLent. Our focus has been reading the scriptures with Anglicans around theworld. How blessed we are to belong to a world-wide communion infellowship with others. In the resurrection of Christ, light dispels darkness anddrives away all fear. The disciples are called to enter into a new relationshipwith the risen Christ. They can no longer cling to the earthly Jesus, but mustslowly discover who Christ is as their Lord and Saviour. This process willdemand great faith and a willingness to journey forward willing to discover allthat God has in store for them. So too, as individual Christians, as a parish,diocese and church, we are being led into the future by the risen Lord.

Easter day is a day like no other. It is a day when we proclaim God’sabundant and generous love in raising Christ Jesus, from the dead. It is theday when we are most clear about who we are as his followers and about ourmission on behalf of the Kingdom to bring Good News to everyone.

This is the day when everything is made new again. Today we celebrateand give thanks to God for creating us anew by raising up his Son from thedead for the life of the world. This is the day when we stand in awe with MaryMagdalene in her grief and with Peter in his fear before the empty tomb, inwonder and joy at the truth it holds.

This is the day when we are sprinkled with the water of new life as werenew our baptismal Covenant and pledge again to be the people God wantsus to be.

This is the day we stand with the apostles and testify that we also arewitnesses to the message of peace and reconciliation first preached in Judeaand Jerusalem and now preached to the ends of the earth.

This is the day when we take our place with all those who have gonebefore us and proclaim that Jesus brings new life to those who have died,forgiveness to all who sin and good news to our troubled world. This is theday! Let us rejoice and give thanks! Alleluia! Michael +

Prelude sur Victimae Paschali Laudes – Bedard; Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise - Archer

Parish Announcements

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Please stand for Processional Hymn

Processional Hymn #203 ‘Jesus Christ Is Risen Today’

The Gathering of the CommunityCelebrant Alleluia! Christ is risen.People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

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 heartsby the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,that we may perfectly love you,and worthily magnify your holy name;through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Glory to God 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 theMost High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen.

The Collect of the DayCelebrant Let us pray.The community prays silently. The celebrant then sings or says the collect.

God of all life, take away all sadness and doubt from us and helpus to believe in life, now that your Son Jesus Christ is risen. May weknow his presence, raised and alive, walking with us on the road oflife. Fill us with the joy of the Spirit, that our faith and love may neverwaver, for Christ is risen and we are alive in him, now and for ever. Amen.

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The Proclamation of the Word

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAHOn this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of

rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, ofwell-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain theshroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away thetears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from allthe earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is ourGod; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord forwhom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. ISAIAH 25:6-9

PSALM 118

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures for ever.Let Israel now proclaim, “His mercy endures for ever.” R

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.There is a sound of exultation and victory in the tents of the righteous: “Theright hand of the Lord has triumphed! the right hand of the Lord is exalted!the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!” R

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lordhas punished me sorely, but he did not hand me over to death. R

Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them; I will offerthanks to the Lord. “This is the gate of the Lord; he who is righteous mayenter.” R

I will give thanks to you, for you answered me and have become mysalvation. The same stone which the builders rejected has become the chiefcornerstone. R

This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. R

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows

no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right isacceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel,preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all. That message spreadthroughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; howhe went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, forGod was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in

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Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised himon the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us whowere chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rosefrom the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that heis the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophetstestify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sinsthrough his name." ACTS 10:34-43 The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation # 750 “Alleluia”

All stand for the Gospel.Reader The Lord be with you. People And also with you.THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDINGTO JOHN. People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Early on the first day of the week,while it was still dark, Mary Magdalenecame to the tomb and saw that the stonehad been removed from the tomb. So sheran and went to Simon Peter and theother disciple, the one whom Jesus loved,and said to them, "They have taken the Lordout of the tomb, and we do not know wherethey have laid him."

Then Peter and the other disciple setout and went toward the tomb. The twowere running together, but the otherdisciple outran Peter and reached thetomb first. He bent down to look in andsaw the linen wrappings lying there, but hedid not go in. Then Simon Peter came,following him, and went into the tomb. Hesaw the linen wrappings lying there, andthe cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not

lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then theother disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw andbelieved; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must risefrom the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent overto look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where thebody of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Theyhave taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Whenshe had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but shedid not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are youweeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, shesaid to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him,

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and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said tohim in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Donot hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to mybrothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to myGod and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "Ihave seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. The Gospel of Christ. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. JOHN 20:1-18

Choir Anthem: ‘Alleluia! Hearts to Heaven’ - Stanton

St. John’s Ringers: Easter Fanfare arr. by Sharon Rogers

Sermon Archdeacon Michael Mitchell

Renewal of Baptism Vows

Procession to Font - #37 CP We’ll Sing In the Morning (The Bells of St. Mary’s) - Verse 1 going, verse 2 returning at the Asperges

Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.People It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over water theHoly Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through water you led thechildren of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. Inwater your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by theHoly Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death andresurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life. We thank you,Father, for the water of baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in hisdeath. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by theHoly Spirit. Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we celebrate ourfellowship in him in faith.

We pray that all who have passed through the water of baptism maycontinue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Saviour. To him, toyou, and to the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, now and for ever.

The celebrant addresses the people with these words.Dear friends, through the paschal mystery we have been buried with

Christ in baptism, so that we may rise with him to a new life. Now that ourLenten observance is ended, let us renew the promises we made inbaptism, when we rejected Satan and all his works, and promised to serveGod faithfully in his holy catholic Church.

Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew yourcommitment to Jesus Christ?

ALL I do.

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Do you believe in God the Father?I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven andearth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?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.

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?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.

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in thebreaking of bread, and in the prayers?I will, with God’s help.

Will you persevere in resisting evil and, whenever you fall into sin,repent and return to the Lord?I will, with God’s help.

Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God inChrist?I will, with God’s help.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour asyourself?I will, with God’s help.

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect thedignity of every human being?I will, with God’s help.

The celebrant concludes the Renewal of Baptismal Vows with the following:God the creator, the rock of our salvation, has given us new birth by

water and the Holy Spirit, and bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, +through our Lord Jesus Christ. May he keep us faithful to our calling, nowand for ever. Amen.

The celebrant blesses the congregation with water from the Baptism Font. The Nicene Creed and confession are not used at this service. The service

continues with the Peace and the Preparation of the Gifts for the Eucharist.

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The Peace All stand, and the presiding celebrant addresses the people.

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

The assembly greets one another in the name of the Lord.

The Celebration of the EucharistThe Preparation of the Gifts

Offertory Hymn #204 ‘Truly, He Comes To Us’

Representatives of the parish present the gifts of bread and wine forthe Eucharist. Each one as they are able, makes an offering to theLord for the needs and responsibilities of the Church to be placed onthe altar.

The Prayer over the Gifts Read by celebrant.

The Great Thanksgiving - Eucharistic Prayer 3Sung Setting “Mass of Creation, by Marty Haugen”

The Lord be with you. And also with you.Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Preface for EasterBlessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give

you thanks and praise for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christour Lord; for he is the true paschal lamb who has taken away the sin of theworld. By his death he destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he haswon for us eternal life. We praise you Lord, with all the angels, in their songof joy.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.

God our strength and salvation, receive all we offer you this day, andgrant that we who have confessed your name, and received new life inbaptism, may live in the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ theLord. Amen.

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We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love youhave made known to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people;in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Wordmade flesh, Jesus your Son. For in these last days you sent him to beincarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of theworld.

In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to standbefore you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sininto righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death hefreely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had giventhanks 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, hegave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the newcovenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. (Sung)Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

We offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts,that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of thenew covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, madeacceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new,and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons anddaughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, thehead of the Church, and the author of our salvation; by whom, with whom,and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours,almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s PrayerRejoicing with the Risen Lord, we are bold to say,

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 Breaking of the BreadThe celebrant breaks the consecrated bread for distribution, and says:

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Lord, we died with you on the cross.All Now we are raised to new life.

We were buried in your tomb.Now we share in your resurrection.Live in us, that we may live in you.

The gifts of God for the People of God.Thanks be to God.

The CommunionJesus Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us. Jesus Bread of life, you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us. Jesus Prince of Peace you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us. Jesus Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,

grant us your peace.

The celebrant and people then receive communion. The sacrament is given with the following words.The body of Christ given for you. The blood of Christ shed for you.The communicant responds each time, Amen.

Communion Hymn #214 ‘The Lamb’s High Banquet’

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth – from Handel’s Messiah:Nina Scott Stoddart, mezzo soprano

Prayer after CommunionCelebrant Let us pray. Standing, the community prays in silence.

DoxologyGlory to God,whose power, working in us,can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.Glory to God from generation to generation,in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

This community of faith welcomes to the Lord’s tableall who are baptized and who wish to be nourished

with the Body and Blood of Christ.

God of life, we are filled with joy this day. Bring us to the glory ofthe resurrection promised in this Easter sacrament. We ask this in thename of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen.

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The BlessingAlleluia. Christ is risen.

All He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

God the Father, by whose love Christ was raised from the dead,open to you who believe the gates of everlasting life. Amen.God the Son, who in bursting from the grave has won a gloriousvictory, give you joy as you share the Easter faith. Amen.God the Holy Spirit, who filled the disciples with the life of the risenLord, empower you and fill you with Christ’s peace. Amen.And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the HolySpirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Recessional Hymn #205 ‘The Day of Resurrection’

The Dismissal With the risen life of Christ within you, go in the peace of Christ.Alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia!Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Postlude: Fanfare - Willan

ECUMENICAL SERVICE AT HARBOUR VIEW HAVENThis special service is being held Wednesday, April 11 at 2 PM. Weth

encourage anyone, especially family members of residents at HV Haven toattend with their loved ones, as well as choir members.

A Cursillo Ultreya will be held April 17th at 7pm at Christ Church,Shelburne. This is a musical and fellowship event where we share our faith,learn more about God and how we can proclaim his love to the world.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWSMother's Day, May 13 is the closing of Sunday School until theth

opening in September. They have planned a BBQ with hot dogs in thechurch parade. Anyone wishing to bring along some snacks for the BBQwould be greatly appreciated. April 22 is a Family Service; ALL FAMILIESnd

AND CHILDREN are invited to the Service.

LOW GLUTEN HOSTS FOR COMMUNIONWe have parishioners unable to tolerate the gluten in our hosts served atcommunion. We are in the process of ordering a low gluten product (lessthan .01%.) If you could please call the office at 634-4994 to make us awareof your allergies to gluten, this would help us determine the amount neededto keep on hand.

The Worship has Ended. The Service Begins.

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Saturday, April 14 at 11 am - Keys for Caring – a fund raisingproject to purchase a new keyboard for Harbour View HavenDr. Ron Stewart mixes music and medicine with a ‘narrative concert’ atCecilia’s Retreat, 1199 Oakland Road, RR2 in Mahone Bay. He will give a‘medical’ view of the Titanic disaster against the background of music likelyheard aboard the vessel before she went to her watery grave. Featuredmusical guests are the TestosterTONES, the Dalhousie Medical Choir MaleEnsemble. Brunch follows the event, presented by Musique Royale. $20 –please reserve at barbara.butler@ns.sympatico.ca. All proceeds to raisefunds for a new keyboard for HVH.At 2:30 pm, Dr. Stewart and the choir will do a presentation at HarbourView Haven with added information on the Keys for Caring Project. Aconcert at St. John’s will follow at a later date, focusing on this initiative.You are welcome to contribute by making a donation to Musique Royale,earmarked ‘Keys for Caring’.

Concerts at St. John’s to note:Sunday, April 15, 4 pm J.S. Bach’s Choral Masterpiece, the B Minor Mass; Paul Halley - DirectorKing’s College Chapel Choir, Ensemble Regale (David Greenberg), andguest soloistsFriday, April 20, 7:30 pm Missa Gaia (Earth Mass) - a contemporary jazz mass by Paul WinterConsort, Nick Halley - DirectorCapella Regalis, King’s Chorus, a 10 member instrumental ensemble andgospel singer Theresa Thomason

Friday, April 27, 7:30 pmKate Cash, violin; Norm Freeman, vibraphone

Friday, May 4, 7:30 pmPaul Halley, organ - A fond tribute to Jim Morrow

PAINTING THE CHURCHMr. Raymond Francis, Chair of the Property Committee,

advises the parish that Bluenose Painting has been contracted tocomplete the painting of the church in late spring or earlysummer. This will involve the complete painting of the bell toweron four sides, the entire front of the church in white, including thepinnacles and the painting of all the black trim around the church.You will recall that last year, Bluenose Painting scraped andprimed all the black trim around the church. Due to thegenerosity of parishioners in the past year, $20,000 has been heldin reserve for this project. The parish will need to raiseapproximately $10,000 more to complete the painting. Thankyou for your continued generosity.