St. John’s Episcopal Church
Helena, Arkansas
First Sunday after the Epiphany
The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ
January 9, 2022
THE HOLY EUCHARIST RITE TWO
Entrance Rite, Eucharistic Prayer B
The Word of God
ENTRANCE RITE
Entrance Hymn On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry (H 76)
The people standing, the Celebrant says
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Celebrant |
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. |
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People |
And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. |
The Celebrant may say
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.
Opening Anthem or Song of Praise
The following is sung, all standing
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 the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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Celebrant |
The Lord be with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
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Celebrant |
Let us pray. |
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
THE LESSONS
First Reading Isaiah 43:1-7
The people sit.
A Reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
1Now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth—7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
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Reader |
The Word of the Lord. |
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People |
Thanks be to God. |
Silence may follow.
Psalm Psalm 29
People remain seated and read responsively by whole verse.
1Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King forevermore.
11The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
Second Reading Acts 8:14-17
The people sit.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
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Reader |
The Word of the Lord. |
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People |
Thanks be to God. |
Silence may follow.
Sequence Hymn O love, how deep, how broad, how high (H 448)
All stand.
Gospel Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
All stand.
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Priest |
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. |
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People |
Glory to you, Lord Christ. |
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
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Priest |
The Gospel of the Lord. |
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People |
Praise to you, Lord Christ. |
The Sermon Rev. Teresa Cantrell
The Creed
All stand.
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
All remain standing or kneel.
Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble; Remembering all those suffering from Covid-19, their caregivers and families.
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Give to the departed eternal rest; remembering especially, John and Mary Hornor.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
LEM continues
O God, who has blessed and sustained us through the years; we ask that you continue to lead us, stretch us, and direct us, in our search for a new rector. Raise for us, we pray, a priest and pastor who will boldly proclaim your Gospel, faithfully administer your sacraments, and serve your people with love and compassion, that we may continue to grow in the likeness of Christ and be a beacon of love and hope to our community and the world. To the glory of your holy name. Amen.
The People may add their own petitions.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Almighty and eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully accept the prayers of your people, and strengthen us to do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession of Sin
The Celebrant says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
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;
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.
The Priest stands and says
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.
The Peace
All stand.
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Celebrant |
The peace of the Lord be always with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Announcements and birthday and wedding anniversary blessings.
The Holy Communion
Offertory Sentence
The Celebrant says
Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.
Offertory Music
Doxology
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The People remain standing.
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Celebrant |
The Lord be with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
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Celebrant |
Lift up your hearts. |
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People |
We lift them to the Lord. |
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Celebrant |
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. |
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People |
It is right to give him thanks and praise. |
Facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
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:
Sanctus
Celebrant and People sing
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.
The People stand or kneel.
The Celebrant continues
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, 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, according to his command, O Father,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O 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 the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
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.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
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,
forever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Fraction Anthem
All sing
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The Celebrant says
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.
The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people.
The Bread is given to the communicants with these words
The Body (Blood) of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life. [Amen.]
Communion Music
Post-Communion Prayer
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
May God, who sent the Holy Spirit to rest upon the Only begotten at his baptism in the Jordan River, pour out that Spirit on you who have come to the waters of new birth. Now, may the blessing of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you now and forever. Amen.
Post-Communion Hymn Hail to the Lord's Anointed (H 616)
Dismissal
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Celebrant |
Let us go forth in the name of Christ. |
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People |
Thanks be to God. |
Our mission is to know God, love God, and serve God
by welcoming all, loving all and serving all.
Welcome to St. John’s. We are so glad you’re here to worship and celebrate with us today.
Please keep the following in your prayers: Debra Richardson, Kathy Sullivan, Parker Pace, Courtney Turner, Jo Boone Wild, Gloria Higginbotham, Kathleen Gibson, Cole Jefferies, Carol Spencer, Bonnie & Charles Rowland, Jo Liddy, Janet Juengel, Vivian Wright, Jim Howe, Cliff Clark, Linda Dowling, Susan Taylor, Sylvia Ross, Sawyer Barry Smith, and Gretchen Barry.
Grace Food Pantry: plastic bags go in the labeled container in the narthex.
Thank you for your donations. They are all greatly appreciated and needed.
There will be no in-person annual meeting this year due to the recent spike in COVID & Omicron cases. More information will follow.
Vestry Meeting January 10, Monday at 5:30 pm at the church.
Open date for Altar flowers on January 30. Contact the church or Ann Lee.
Contact info:
Email: rector@saintjohnshelena.org
St. John’s Church Office:
Phone: 870-338-8115
Email: office@saintjohnshelena.org
Mailing address: P.O. Box 770, Helena, AR 72342
Street address: 625 Pecan St., Helena, Arkansas
The Most Rev. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
The Rt. Reverend Larry R. Benfield, Bishop of Arkansas
The Rev. Teresa Cantrell
The Vestry of St. John’s Church, Helena
Mike Fielder, Senior Warden (2021)
Ed Pat Wright, Junior Warden (2023)
Brooke Tappan, Clerk (2023),
Ben Pittman (2021), Ann Lee (2021), Mark Rogers (2022),
Allison Biederman (2022), Susan Carter (2022),
Tap Jennings (2023)
Walter Morris, Treasurer
Pianist –Dagmar Bergan
Organist – Dr. Gabriel Statom
Lay Reader – Gina Miles
Acolyte – Jack Pillow
Altar Guild – Nancy Hornor
Ushers – Bob & Ann Lee
The flowers in the church today are given to the glory of God
And in memory of John & Mary Hornor.
Given by St. John’s Altar Guild
