(Officiant 1) – Convene Worship
 
Lenten Bell Ringing
 
Prelude 
Meditation                                                                                         Charles Wesley
 
(Officiant 1) - Rules of the Road for Virtual Worship in Lent
 
(Officiant 1) - Opening Hymn 544
Jesus Shall Reign Where’re the Sun, vs.1 and 5

Penitential Order
(Officiant 1) - Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins
God’s mercy endures forever.
 
(Officiant 1) - Jesus said, "The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."    Mark 12:29-31
 
Decalogue (Officiant 1 and People)
Hear the commandments of God to God’s people:
I am the Lord your God who brought you out of bondage.
You shall have no other gods but me.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not make for yourself any idol.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not invoke with malice the Name of the Lord your God.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
Honor your father and your mother.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not commit murder.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not commit adultery.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not steal.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not be a false witness.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
 
(Officiant 1) - Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor
 
Confession
Gracious God, we know and believe You have a heart of mercy. You bring to light things hidden in darkness, and know the shadows of our hearts, yet You are unfailingly with us, confronting us with your love. Help us unblock those things that prevent us from growing closer to You and following You wherever you may lead. Have mercy on us, and remove from us all habits that lead to a heart of stone. Kindle in us the fire of your love, so that we may nurture a heart of tenderness for You, our neighbors, and Your creation. Amen.
 
Absolution
(Officiant 1) - Almighty God, have mercy upon us, create in us hearts to love, adore, and delight in YOU, as we are strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit to follow in Jesus’' Way of Love. Amen. (With help from the Anglican Churches of Kenya and Canada)
 
Kyrie (Officiant 1 and People)
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
 
(Officiant 1) - The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
 
(Officiant 1) – Collect
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 

A Reading from the Hebrew Testament Lesson                                Ginna Coulson
Jeremiah 31:31-34
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
 
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.
 

 
Today’s Psalm is Psalm 51:1-13 (please read together the bolded lines).
 
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness;
in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
 
Wash me through and through from my wickedness
and cleanse me from my sin.
 
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
 
Against you only have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight.
 
And so you are justified when you speak
and upright in your judgment.
 
Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth,
a sinner from my mother's womb.
 
For behold, you look for truth deep within me,
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
 
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
 
Make me hear of joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
 
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
 
Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
 
Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
 

 
A Reading from the Greek Testament Lesson                                      Mary Gordon
Hebrews 5:5-10
Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
 
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.
 

 
Vocal Solo Sequence Hymn
Will you come and Follow Me
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen?
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
 
(Deacon) - The Gospel                                                                         John 12:20-33
 
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
 
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
 
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
 

 
Homily                                                                                  The Rev. Marya DeCarlen
 
Hymn LEVAS 198
Love Lifted Me, vs. 1 and 3



The Nicene Creed
 
We give our hearts to you, God Beyond Us,
creator of heaven and earth of all that is seen and unseen.
We give our hearts to you, Jesus Christ,
our model and savior, God Among Us, God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made. You were incarnate
by the Holy Spirit and blessed Mary
and became truly human.
You suffered under Pontius Pilate,
were crucified, died, and buried.
On the third day you rose again;
you ascended into heaven,
And are seated at the right hand of God Beyond Us,
and you will come again to judge the living and the dead,
your reign will have no end.
We give our hearts to you, Holy Spirit, God Within Us.
We give our hearts to the community of the church,
to the communion of saints, to the practice of forgiveness,
 to the hope of the resurrection,
and to the promise of life everlasting. Amen.
—Expansive Language Nicene Creed adapted from Expansive Language Apostles Creed, The Rev. Karl Stevens, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Columbus, OH)
 
Prayers of the People                                                                                  Allen Hill
Have mercy on us, O God, according to your loving kindness; in your great compassion, hear our prayers.
 
We pray for the whole church and for all the holy people of God. In this season of Lent, let your people be purified and set free from all sin, doubt, confusion, and fear. We ask your blessing on all Christian leaders and ministers, especially Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Alan and Gayle, our Bishops; Marya, our priest; Jim, our deacon; and Brett, our seminarian. In our Diocesan cycle of prayer, we ask for prayers for the people and ministry of Parishes of the Charles River Deanery: All Saints Parish, Brookline; Church of Our Saviour, Brookline; St. Paul’s Church, Brookline; Episcopal Chaplaincy at Boston University, Brookline; and The Church Home Society. In our Anglican cycle of prayer, we pray for The Church of England.
Lord, in your mercy,
Purify your people.
 
We pray for this community, our nation, and for all the nations of the earth. Let our leaders be free from duplicity and self-serving, and may they pursue the common welfare with sincerity and justice. In this Lenten season, we especially ask your blessing on President Biden, and all who hold responsibility for shaping our nation’s path.
Lord, in your mercy,
Guide us to walk together in peace.
 
We pray for all those who celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions for thanksgiving; especially Virginia Pelletier, Henry Witham, Lawrence Crowley, Malinda Harris and Leah Curran. We give thanks for the diocesan interviews held this weekend with Courtland Hooper, son of Bill Hooper, as he discerns his call to the vocational diaconate. We also give thanks for Bradley James Kirshen, son of Clarese Deibel Kirshen and Andrew Taylor Kirshen, who will be baptized at All Saints on April 3. Are there other thanksgivings? We will pause while people add their prayers.
Lord, in your mercy,                                                    
Fill our hearts with joy and thanks.
 
We pray for all those who hunger, who thirst, who cry out for justice, who live under the threat of terror, or who have no place to lay their head. In this season of Lent, may they be comforted and their sufferings relieved. Are there others for whom we can pray?
Lord, in your mercy,
Show us the path of charity and love.
 
We pray for all who are suffering in body, mind or spirit. During this Lent, we ask for healing for those who are ill; for those enduring the terror of diagnostic uncertainty; for those enduring persistent untreated and under-treated pain and chronic diseases, for those experiencing stress or loneliness, and for those whose needs are known only to you. We pray especially for Carol and Ken Bouffard, Carolyn Dennis, Lizzie, Harry, Susan Sahoveyor, Drew Howard, Mary Pettus, Frank and Pat Swasey, Gail, Paul, Rick, Julie, Tim, Carol Quinn, Linda King, Amy, Charles Boulanger, Joe Maher, Victoria, Sharon, Peter, Amy and Charlotte, Nora, Susan Schumann, Kristin Blake, Ella, Anne, Marie, Erik, Sonya, Chris, Lindley, Marge, Laurie Mercer, Bishop Alan Gates, and John Losa. Are there others? The people add their prayers for all who suffer in body, mind or spirit.
Lord, in your mercy.
Sustain them with your bountiful Spirit.
 
We pray for those who have died, and for all who have entered into eternal Light and your abiding peace. We will pause while people add their prayers.
Lord, in your mercy,
Guide us to your eternal light.
 
Lord Jesus, you taught your disciples that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit; as we prepare our hearts to remember your death and resurrection, grant us the strength and wisdom to serve and follow you, this day and always. Amen.

 
Shared Agape Meal (bring Agape food to your Zoom table)
 
(Officiant 2) - Friends, we have acknowledged before God and in each other’s presence that we depend on God for our lives; that we are sorry for our sins; that we long to be reconciled in the peace of Christ, and that we are ready to turn around and walk in a new way of love. Let us turn in fellowship to one another at our table of love.
 
(Officiant 2) - Out of darkness came light.
People:  And the power of God was revealed in the running wave and the flowing air, in the quiet earth and the shining stars.
 
(Officiant 2) - Out of the dust came life;
People:  And the image of God was revealed in the human face and the gentle heart; in the warmth of flesh and the depth of soul.
 
(Officiant 2) - Out of justice came freedom
People: And the wisdom of God was revealed in the need to grow, and the will to love; in the chance to know and the power to choose.
 
(Officiant 2) - And God looked at the creation and saw that it was good.
Prayer of Adoration
 
(Officiant 2) - I will bless the Lord at all times; God’s praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34)
People:  I will keep on thanking God with constant words of prayer. I will glory in the living God. The humble will hear and be glad! Amen
 
(Deacon) - The Sanctuary Lamp burns in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, in loving memory for the life of Robert Blowers given by Leslie, Chuck, Ashley and Amy, and in loving memory of Brad Delp, given by Phyllis Endicott.
 
(Officiant 2) - Let us pray.
Agape Prayer
(Deacon) - Gracious and ever-living God, we come before your table with thanksgiving. This is your table, your love table, in which everyone is invited. We celebrate our agape food as it represents our Lord Jesus Christ's love for us. We give thanks for those who harvest the seeds from our mother earth, and the fruits for our drink. We are all one through our Lord Jesus Christ. This love feast is a sign that God loves us, and we love the ever-living Spirit that flows through us. During this time of Lent, when we are reminded there are dark and beautiful days coming, we ask you to bless us in our darkness, and in our beauty. Let this meal fill us with the goodness of your peace, that we may always be helpful toward the needs of others. We pray this through our crucified and risen Christ, and we give you thanks.  Amen
 
(Officiant 2) – And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray:
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.
 
Let each person take agape food in their hands
(Deacon) - Let us share the feast with each other! Experience the grace of God!
 
Agape Meal Voluntary
Break Thou the Bread of Life
 
(Officiant 2) - Prayer of Thanksgiving
God of all grace, may we live in expectation and hope, and may the gifts we have received at this table remind us not only of the gift of your Christ, but of your steady presence among us, that we may act faithfully in response to your love. Amen (Adapted from progressivechristianity.org)
 
(Deacon) - The Passing of the Peace
Christ is here right now making peace among us. 
The peace of the Lord be always with you!
And also with you.
 
(Marya) - Announcements and Prayers for Birthdays and Anniversaries and Healing Prayers
 
The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
 
(Marya) Blessing of Baptismal Bells in Memory and Thanksgiving for Garvin Moore
It is with ringing in our hearts that we bless these bells given by All Saints Choir in loving memory of Garvin Moore for his many years of contributing his beautiful voice to the harmonies offered.  We offer these bells in his name, each with the letter “G” inscribed upon them knowing that when a child is baptized and welcomed into our communion, Garvin who is now part of the saints in light, will be ringing in his own special joy.
 
O God, accept our offering of these baptismal bells, which we consecrate today: Grant that in this generation and in those that are to come, their sweet ringing tones may continually call your people to praise and worship; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Bell Ringing!!
 
(Officiant 2) – Final Blessing
Whatever wilderness the Spirit has brought you to:
walk in boldness, as a beloved child of God
walk in peace, under the shelter of the Most High
walk in faith, knowing Christ walks with you. Amen.
 
(Officiant 2) - Closing Hymn 490
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, vs. 1


 
Sung Benediction (Mute your microphones and sing along with the Benediction)
God Be with You Till We Meet Again                                                Jeremiah Rankin
 

 
(Deacon) - Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
 
 
(Usage of music images is authorized through Church Publishing Inc. for The Riteseries Online)

 
Easter Flowers: Anyone wishing to have flowers in memory of a loved one is asked to send their donation to the office or put it in the offering plate by Friday, March 26^th
 
Altar Flowers are available April 11, 18 and 25. Contact Barbara Hooper.
 
Special thanks to our worship team for the Season of Lent: Brett Johnson and The Rev. Marya DeCarlen, who authored the Confession, Ginna Coulson, who authored the Agape Meal Prayer, The Rev. Jim Chapman who authored the Prayers for the People.
 
Special thanks to our worship assistants this morning:
1^st Lesson and Psalm:           Ginna Coulson
2^nd Lesson:                            Mary Gordon
Prayers of the People:           Allen Hill
Voice of the People:               Kat Lemieux
Interim Musician:                    John Churchwell
Counters:                               Carol Bouffard
                                               Bruce Manning