St. Francis Church Biblically minded. Mission Driven.

The Right Reverend John C. Bauerschmidt--Bishop of Tennessee

The Reverend Joseph B. Howard--Vicar

Order of Worship

The vision of St. Francis Church is to be a community dedicated

to the transformation of lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
for the Kingdom of God.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

A note for visitors: We’re thankful that you could join us for worship today, and
we pray God blesses you in your time here. The service is printed in your bulletin and
insert. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask someone around you!

St. Francis Church wants to encourage families to worship together. The practice of
dividing families for worship is a modern invention and is often detrimental to the goal
of worshipping as a body. In order to be a community where all ages feel welcome,
we provide coloring materials for children to use during worship and seek to be a
community that understands the specific gifts and challenges that children bring. We
encourage you, should you feel comfortable doing so, to sit toward the front with your
children, as little-ones are often more attentive if they can see what is happening.

That being said, we understand that there may be times when it is best to take
advantage of child care, which we have available in the room immediately through the
Kitchen off of the entryway. All parents are provided with vibrating beepers to inform
them should anything come up requiring their attention.

In Preparation for worship: We invite you to take a few moments before the service
begins to be still, and rest from the business of your lives. Take time to breathe deeply,
and reflect upon the past week. When you’re ready, you might say the following prayer
or one like it in preparation for worship.

O Almighty God, who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and
of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of
heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled
affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth; though Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

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 The Word of God
Processional: All my hope on God is founded Hymnal 665

Opening Acclamation:
All Standing

Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ is risen.

People: The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

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.

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Canticle 20, Glory to God: Gloria in excelsis S 280

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Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray.

Collect of the Day:

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our
understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all
things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can
desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading: Acts 17:22-31

All sit.

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in
every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your
worship, I found also an altar with this 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, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man,
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives
to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to
live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries
of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him
and find him. Yet 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 poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deityis like gold, or silver, or
stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God
overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a
day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed,
and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Psalm of the day:

Remain seated

Psalm 66:7-18
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 7 Bless our God, you peoples; *
make the voice of his praise to be heard;

8 Who holds our souls in life, *
and will not allow our feet to slip.

9 For you, O God, have proved us; *
you have tried us just as silver is tried.

10 You brought us into the snare; *
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.

11 You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water; *
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

12 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.

13 I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts
with the smoke of rams; *
I will give you oxen and goats.

14 Come and listen, all you who fear God, *
and I will tell you what he has done for me.

15 I called out to him with my mouth, *
and his praise was on my tongue.

16 If I had found evil in my heart, *
the Lord would not have heard me;

17 But in truth God has heard me; *
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

18 Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, *
nor withheld his love from me.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22

A Reading from the First letter of Peter.

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should
suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense
to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness
and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile
your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

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For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might
bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which
he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey,
when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in
which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which
corresponds to this, 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 having been
subjected to him.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn: There is one Lord Taizé

Holy Gospel: John 14:15-21

All stand.

Gospeller: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father,
and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know
him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you desolate; I will come
to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because
I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me,
and I in you. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and
he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to
him.”

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Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ

Sermon: The Rev. Joseph B. Howard

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

Leader: Let us pray

In our Diocese we pray for St. Philip’s Church, Nashville.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for The Nippon Sei Ko Kai (the Holy
catholic Church of Japan) The Most Revd Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu Primate &
Bishop of Hokkaido

Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;

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People: That we all may be one.

Leader: Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
People: That your Name may be glorified by all people.

Leader: We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

People: That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacra-
ments.

Leader: We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the
world;
People: That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

Leader: Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;

People: That our works may find favor in your sight.

Leader: Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
People: That they may be delivered from their distress.

Leader: Give to the departed eternal rest;

People: Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Leader: We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
People: May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.

Silence

Celebrant: Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask, help us to ask
only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare
not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Confession

Celebrant: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of
grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14, 16

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence.

Minister and People:

Most merciful God,

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;
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we have not loved our neighbors 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 on you, forgive you all your sins through our
Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the
Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

All stand

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

People: And also with you.

Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

Announcements

The Holy Communion

Offertory music selected by the musician
All stand for the Doxology: Hymnal 380 (last verse)

Celebrant: All things come of thee O Lord.

People: And of thine own have we given thee.
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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.

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: said

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.

Please stand or kneel at this time, as best helps you to pray.

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:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.
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Christ will come again.

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,

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed by 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

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for
you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

ON RECEIVING COMMUNION: All baptized Christians are welcome to receive

communion. If you do not wish to receive, you are invited to come for a prayer of
blessing—simply cross your arms over your chest to let the servers know that you will
not be receiving. Prayers before receiving can be found on pages 337 (the Prayer of
Humble Access) and 834 in the Book of Common Prayer (the red books available under
your chairs).

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Communion music: Eat this bread Taizé

Post-Communion Prayer
After Communion, the Celebrant says:
Let us Pray

The minister and people together, pray:

Almighty and everliving 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.

The Blessing

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The Recessional: Love divine, all loves excelling Hymnal 657

Celebrant says the dismissal

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People: Thanks be to God.

A Note on Today’s Readings

The Sixth Sunday of Easter--Year A

Welcome to St. Francis Church. As we continue the Great Fifty Days of celebrating our redemption through
the death and resurrection of Jesus, today’s Gospel reading continues Jesus’ words on the night before he
died. The sign of our love of him is to follow his commandments and, above all, to love one another as he
loves us. He promises not to leave his people alone but will send to them the Holy Spirit, the source of our
unity with God and of Jesus’ revelation of himself to us.

Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles finds Paul preaching not to Jews and Greek converts to
Judaism (as he usually did), but to the Greek philosophers in Athens. He proclaims that their unknown god
is the God of the entire universe and the creator of all things. This God has been made known in the dying
and rising of Jesus.

Peter’s epistle about baptism continues in our second reading calling on all the baptized to understand the
difficulties of living in this world as our own sharing in the dying and rising of Jesus.

Our sharing in his redemptive death and in his resurrection was not completed in baptism; it was only
begun. We are to live out that passage from death to life with his living presence through the Holy Spirit in
our daily living.

From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman.
Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.

Announcements
Welcome to our guests!
We’re very happy that you chose to worship with us this morning. Please join us after the
service for snacks and conversation, to take some time to get to know us and for us to get
to know you. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Breakfast Sunday: Please remember that Sunday, May 4th is breakfast Sunday. Bring
your favorite breakfast food or drink to share. We will gather and begin our time of
fellowship at 9:15 am.

Vacation Bible School “What a Wonderful World”: St. Joseph of Arimathea has
invited us to participate with them in putting on a vacation Bible School with the theme
of What a Wonderful World children from 3 years old to rising 5th graders which is
scheduled from June 10-13. We also hope St. James the Less will join with us as well.

Children & Youth Sunday: Mark your calendars for Sunday June 8th. During the
worship service on this day young people from the congregation will not only be serving as
Acolytes, but will also be readers, doing the prayers of the people etc...

The Gifts of God Sundays from July 6 -August 3 from 9:15-10:15: The Season
after Pentecost is a natural time to begin the process of discerning and considering the
gifts which God has bestowed upon us as individuals and as a community. I would like to
invite all of you to join in a time of learning and reflection about the meaning and use of
God’s gifts.

Inquirer’s seminar Sunday’s from August 10-September 14 from 9:15-10:15:

If you interested in learning more about St. Francis Church, have questions about who we
are, what we believe, why we do certain things in the service, or have a desire to officially
become a member of our congregation, then mark your calendars for our inquirer’s
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seminar on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15.

Confirmation, Reception and reaffirmation of Baptismal vows preparation

September 21 & 28 from 9:15-10:15: Following on the heels of the Inquirers seminar,
those of you who feel called to affirm your membership in St. Francis church through
confirmation, reception or Baptism, as well as those of you who would like to publically
renew your commitments are invited to attend these two sessions in preparation for the
Bishop’s visitation on October 5.

Volunteer opportunities at St. Francis: If you are interested in any of the following
ministries, please let Fr. Jody know after the service or via email: frjody@stfrancis-tn.net .

Reader/Lector (Read the lessons and lead prayers), Newsletter & website team (basically contributing
to both of these, helping to organize them, not doing it all. The more the merrier), Sexton team (Several
members already volunteer their time and energy to help keep St. Francis’ clean and tidy.)
If you have an announcement that you would like in the bulletin, please email it to Fr. Jody by Wednesday the week before so it can be
included.

Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt

Vicar
The Rev. Joseph B. Howard

Mission Council
Ralph Eddy
Linda Palmer
Thom Chittom
Shelley Sircy
clerk: Nanci Frey

Visiting Accompanist
Daniel Easter

Schedule of Ministry:
Preacher & Celebrant: The Rev. Joseph B. Howard Reader: Carlene Johnson
Acolyte/Crucifer: none Prayer Station: Shelley Sircy
Oblationers: The Edwards’ Family Chalicist: Anna Howard
To check the schedule online, visit:
http://stfrancis-tn.net and go to congregational resources-->schedule

To get in touch with Fr. Jody for any reason, you can reach him at the Church, 851-0790, his cell, 440-6492 or via
email at frjody@stfrancis-tn.net.
_______________________________________________________________________________

St. Francis Church

Biblically minded. Mission driven.
812 Meadowlark Ln
PO Box 697
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
Phone: 851-0790
http://stfrancis-tn.net

Cover Image: Two men worship around the altar to the unknown god,
from Antiquitates Christianae, or, The history of the life and death of the Holy Jesus by Jeremy Taylor

CCLI License No. 2334637

Oneliscence.net No. A-714717

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