FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 28, 2024
St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Toronto Islands
www.standrewbythelake.com
Priest-in-Charge: Alison Hari Singh (416-203-0873 or standrewminister@gmail.com)
People’s Warden: Bella Beazer (416-203-4142)
Rector’s Warden/Interim Treasurer: Jane Davidson-Neville (416-203-8564)
Deputy Warden: Nancy Kendrew
Synod Rep: Billy J. Choi-Gekas
Outreach Chair: Graham Mudge (416-203-3556)
Musicians: Jennifer Wakefield and Jane Davidson-Neville
Musical Selections: Jennifer Wakefield, Jane Davidson-Neville, Alison Hari Singh
Prelude
THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE
We give thanks to our Creator for the earth we share with all creatures, and we acknowledge that we are here on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples, and we seek to live respectfully with each other and with the earth. We pray for healing between our cultures and healing from a sense of settler superiority. We believe that Black Lives Matter and that Every Child Matters. We know that love is love, and we welcome everyone who desires to join us in worship. You are a beloved creation of God, and you are most welcome in this place.
Please stand, as you are able.
Opening Hymn Let Us Build a House (Sing a New Creation #10)
Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live.
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace,
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true.
Where all God's children dare to seek to dream God's reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness as a symbol of God's grace.
Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat.
A banquet hall on holy ground where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus is revealed in time and space,
As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard.
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace,
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Celebrant: 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 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.
Gloria Glory, Glory, Glory (Glory to God #584)
REFRAIN Glory, glory, glory, glory be to God on high! (2x)
And on earth peace to all people in whom God is well pleased. (2x)
*refrain sung 3 times
The Collect
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another and walk in the way of his commandments, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading
Reader: A reading from the book of Acts.
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. [ACTS 8:26-40]
Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 22:24-30: A Responsorial Setting (Voices United, Refrain Two)
REFRAIN In the presence of your people I will praise your name.
My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship God.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise: "May your heart live for ever!"
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations shall bow before the Lord. REFRAIN
For kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules over the nations.
To God alone do all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him. REFRAIN
My soul shall live for God; my descendants shall serve the Lord; they shall be known as the Lord's for ever.
They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that God has done. REFRAIN
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL
As you are able, please stand.
Gospel Acclamation Halle, Halle, Halle (Voices United #958)
REFRAIN Halle, halle, halle-lujah! (3x)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Gospeler: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Gospeler: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
[JOHN 15:1-8]
Gospeler: This is the Gospel of Christ.
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
REFRAIN Halle, halle, halle-lujah! (3x)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Homily The Rev. Alison Hari Singh
May only the truth be spoken and only the truth heard. In the name of God: eternal Source, incarnate Word, and life-giving Spirit. Amen.
This week, as I sat with the readings, I was struck by two things. The first thing that struck me was how foreign ancient Palestine seems to us today while simultaneously being all too familiar (the city of Gaza is named specifically in the first lesson). The second thing was how tied to the land the earliest Christian stories are. The Bible is always naming cities, destinations, significant holy places, as well as trade and travelling routes (the trade route between ancient Palestine and Ethiopia, for example).
Trade routes have always been important to the people of the Levant region and we can see this interestingly enough in the keffiyeh – the cultural scarf of many peoples across what today we call the Middle East. The keffiyeh emphasizes three symbols: olive leaves, fishing nets, and trade routes. Some of you may know olive trees live a very long time – hundreds, even thousands of years. They represent persistence, resilience, and strength. The symbol of the fishing net is obvious. People in the region have long fished the waters in the area, including our spiritual ancestors, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who fished the Sea of Galilee. Finally, the solid lines represent the historic trade routes that brought people to and through and from Jerusalem. This is where we begin today.
Philip, led by the Spirit, is travelling on a deserted road – “a wilderness road” – from Jerusalem to Gaza. It’s about 100 km distance between the two cities. The text does not tell us why the Spirit sends Philip there, but it’s possible that a Christian community had sprung up in Gaza City after the story of Jesus’ began to spread, and he was going there to encourage these new believers. What’s interesting to me about this is that to this very day, a Palestinian Christian community still exists in Gaza City. There are only about 1,000 people left. They are currently living under tremendous duress, but they remain steadfast, much like the olive trees of the region.
On the way to Gaza, Philip encounters a wealthy and powerful Ethiopian – a eunuch in charge of the Queen of Ethiopia’s treasury. The Ethiopian eunuch (whose name we never learn) had come to Jerusalem to worship during Passover (being celebrated right now). Judaism had spread into Ethiopia many generations earlier through the relationship between King Solomon with the Queen of Sheba and through their son Menelik I, as well as the Jewish diaspora that fled south to avoid the Assyrian incursion on the region. This Ethiopian was a Jewish believer, but eunuchs, as you can imagine, were not well received in ancient Judaism. Men who suffered castration, according to Deuteronomy 23, were forbidden from entering the “congregation of the Lord.” But as time passed, regulations lessened, and being a eunuch was no longer considered reason for exclusion. So, when Philip meets this man on the wilderness road to Gaza, he isn’t afraid to engage with the stranger whose skin is darker than his, who a spoke a different tongue, and was not quite like other men.
What Philip sees is a person who is curious. The Ethiopian eunuch is reading from the prophet Isaiah about a man who was led to slaughter, one who was humiliated and denied justice. The Ethiopian is compelled by what he is reading, but he is confused. Who is Isaiah talking about, himself or another person? Philip, seeing an opportunity, shares the Good News with him. Philip explains to him that the person prophesied about in Isaiah is none other than Jesus himself. While we’re not told this explicitly, I think it’s fair to assume that Philip, following Peter’s lead, tells the man that if he wants to follow Jesus he needs to “Repent and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” He is so excited to learn about Jesus that he halts the chariot. “Look! Here is water,” he says. “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Nothing! There’s nothing stopping him! So, they get out of the chariot, go down to the water, and Philip baptizes him. The two cannot continue on their journey together, unfortunately. There’s no time for deeper theological instruction. The man has to go southward, back home to his job in Ethiopia, while Philip goes north to modern day Ashdod, finally stopping in Caesarea.
Thankfully, this encounter wasn’t the end of the story. Rather, like the spread of Judaism through North Africa, the Good News about Jesus spread throughout Egypt and Ethiopia. In fact, the vast majority of Ethiopians today remain Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. So, what’s the takeaway from the Ethiopian eunuch’s spontaneous baptism? St. Paul understood conversion to be an act of engrafting – a new shoot being knit together with a vital root to become one plant. Today’s Gospel, however, offers us a different perspective: pruning and abiding.
Many of you will know that proper pruning is good for trees and shrubs. The gardener selectively removes dead, injured, or diseased parts of the plant to encourage new growth, better appearance, and the overall health of the plant. Pruning is often used to help increase fruit production because when pruned, the plant is able to access more light from overhead, and the stems have less competition for water and nutrients. Consequently, the branches that remain flourish and bear more fruit.
We often think of baptism, especially adult baptism, as someone entering into Christian community from out of nowhere. But from today’s readings, I contend that the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism wasn’t out of the blue. Rather, he was already in the Vine! That is why there was nothing stopping him from being baptized. His baptism was a confirmation of the good work already begun. Baptism is, then, our own recognition that we are already in the Vine and that we need pruning in order to abide more deeply within it. Being part of Christian community to gather, to hear, to pray, and to eat together is how the dead, withered branches – the non-productive stems – are sloughed off so that we can “bear much fruit.” And what is this fruit? St. Paul tells us the Fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. If we fail to undergo that pruning that allows us to abide, what happens? Think about a plant that is never pruned. It dies, slowly, bearing no flowers or fruit, and eventually has to be taken out at the root.
In a few weeks Madison will be baptised (and Vaughn will renew his baptismal vows). While this choice to be baptized may seem out of the blue to your friends, family, and colleagues, being baptized is an acknowledgment of what is already true in you. You are a branch in the Vine and as you are pruned and begin to abide within that Vine you will find that the Vine is strong and deep and nourishing. You’ll also encounter other branches in the Vine: numerous, diverse, and sometimes thorny and tangled up. But that’s what makes the Vine beautiful. That’s what allows the Vine to offer comfort from the hot sun and provide ground cover and nutrients to the earth. So, to all of us I say, abide in the Vine for refreshment and strength, and whatever we long for, whatever we desire, will be done for us. Amen.
Silence is kept.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE**
Intercessor: Shout aloud, O mothers and sons! Fathers and daughters, sisters and brothers, rejoice and exult with all your hearts! Let us offer our prayers and thanksgivings with one voice, calling out Good News.
Jesus Christ is alive and in our midst today.
We look for our Savior among the living.
We pray for all faithful people — for every person that turns to God in longing and in love. Today and every day, pull us out of our graves and into your Divine Life.
Jesus Christ is alive and among us today.
We look for our Redeemer among the living.
We pray for the nations of the earth — for those in authority, and for those under authority that everyone may pursue what is just and right. Come from the four winds, O Breath of Life, and we shall live together in peace.
Jesus Christ is alive and within us today.
We look for our Mediator among the living.
We pray for this world, our garden home — for the rain and the snow, the seed and the sprout — for the birthing room and the last place of rest — for every new creation.
Jesus Christ is alive and beside us today.
We look for our Gardener among the living.
We pray for those who are sick or suffering — for anyone who needs extra help just now. We pray especially for those named here today, Billy, Wendy, Bella, Jane, Margaret, Peter, Raj, Mary, Gerald, Eliza, Irene, Joyce, Leslie, Paul, Helen, Nancy, Donna, Enid, Freda, Charlotte and anyone else who is on our hearts, either silently or aloud…(pause for names)…
Living Lord, renew them in Your love.
Jesus Christ is alive and with us today.
We look for our Sustainer among the living.
We pray for those who have died, and for all who mourn. We pray especially for those named here today, Marjorie, Ann, Gail, Ula, Bob, Rosemary, Mary, Muriel, Mai, Patty, Tricia, Barbara, Bruce and Stephen, and anyone else who is on our hearts, either silently or aloud…(pause for names)…
Eternal One, bring them home and gather them in.
Jesus Christ is alive and in the midst of us today.
We look for our Beloved among the living.
With joy and exultation, we give thanks for the triumph of life over death and for the forgiveness of our sins, offering special thanks for those joys, sorrows, challenges and delights named here today, either silently or aloud…(pause for thanksgivings)…
We are amazed at what has happened.
Jesus Christ is alive and in our hearts today.
Holy One, even before we call, you answer; while we are yet speaking, you hear. We offer up these prayers in the name of the Risen Christ — our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. Amen.
The Peace
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Offertory We Will Take What You Offer (More Voices #196)
We will take what you offer, we will live by your word;
We will love one another and be fed by you, Lord.
We will take what you offer, we will life by your word;
We will love one another and be fed by you, Lord.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Prayer over the Gifts
Celebrant: Let us pray,
Gracious God, you show us your way and give us your divine life. May everything we do be directed by the knowledge of your truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen.
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 our thanks and praise.
Celebrant: It is indeed right that we should praise you, gracious God, for you created all things. You created us and formed us in your own image. When we turned away from you in sin, you did not cease to care for us, but opened a path of salvation for all people. You made a covenant with Israel, and through your servants Abraham and Sarah gave the promise of a blessing to all nations. Through Moses you led your people from bondage into freedom; through the prophets you renewed your promise of salvation. Therefore, with them, and with all your saints who have served you in every age, we give thanks and raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.
Sanctus (St. Bride’s Setting, Iona)
All: 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.
Celebrant: Holy God, source of life and goodness, all creation rightly gives you praise. In the fullness of time, you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Creator of all. He healed the sick and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners; he opened the eyes of the blind and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and to those in need. In all things he fulfilled your gracious will. On the night he freely gave himself to 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.” Gracious God, his perfect sacrifice destroys the power of sin and death; by raising him to life you give us life for evermore.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.
All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Celebrant: Recalling his death, proclaiming his resurrection, and looking for his coming again in glory, we offer you, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who eat and drink at this table may be one body and one holy people, a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, almighty God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant: As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant: Lord, we died with you on the cross.
All: Now we are raised to new life.
Celebrant: We were buried in your tomb.
All: Now we share in your resurrection.
Celebrant: Live in us, that we may live in you.
Celebrant: The gifts of God, for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Angus Dei (St. Bride’s Setting, Iona)
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Prince of Peace, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Bread of Life, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
Come up to the altar following the lead of those ahead of you. If you would like a blessing, as well as, or in place of the bread, indicate this to the priest.
Communion Hymn I Come with Joy (Common Praise #60)
The Silence
A long silence is kept for listening and reflection.
Prayer after Communion
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: Let us pray,
God of love, in this Eucharist we have heard your truth and shared in your life. May we always walk in your way, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Glory to God,
All: 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.
The Blessing
Celebrant: May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Common Praise #486)
Celebrant: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia!
People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Postlude
ANNOUNCEMENTS
**The Prayers of the People
The Prayers of the People are adapted from an Easter prayer litany written by Margaret D. McGee. Ms. McGee is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Port Townsend, Washington. To find more resources on prayer and spirituality, go to https://inthecourtyard.com/.
Warden’s Information Night
On Tuesday, April 30th @ 7 pm we will be hosting via Zoom an information night for anyone interested in learning about the duties, responsibilities and joys of being a churchwarden. If you are interested in attending, please contact Rev. Alison.
Ministry of Healing
Today! On April 28th, the clergy at St. Andrew’s will be offering the sacrament of unction with the anointing of oil alongside the Eucharist. This sacrament will normally be offered on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Celebrating World Labyrinth Day
On May 4th from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm, join us at St. Andrew by-the-Lake as we celebrate World Labyrinth Day. There will be opportunity to make personal finger labyrinths, as well as walk the labyrinth. There will also be time for conversation and sharing around the fire. Refreshments will be served.
Rev. Alison Away
Alison will be away from Wednesday May 1st – Tuesday May 7th. The Rev. Douglas Graydon will be with St. Andrew’s that week. Please let Douglas, Bella or Jane know if there are any pastoral emergencies.
Facebook Page for St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Come and visit and contribute to the St. Andrew by-the-Lake Facebook page. Search for: St. Andrews by-the-Lake Church (make sure you don’t get St. Andrews Golf Course). Look on the page for “Follow”. Click on that. You will then receive notices, pictures of your community, and a place for discussion. Any questions? Email Laura Cooper laura.onthelake@gmail.com.
COVID19 Guidelines
Ferry Schedule
The spring schedule is now in effect. This means boats will be running to Centre Island, so more options for walking or riding. Here’s a link to the City’s website:
www.toronto.ca/ferry.
Supporting St. Andrew’s
April 28, 2024
St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Toronto Islands
www.standrewbythelake.com
Priest-in-Charge: Alison Hari Singh (416-203-0873 or standrewminister@gmail.com)
People’s Warden: Bella Beazer (416-203-4142)
Rector’s Warden/Interim Treasurer: Jane Davidson-Neville (416-203-8564)
Deputy Warden: Nancy Kendrew
Synod Rep: Billy J. Choi-Gekas
Outreach Chair: Graham Mudge (416-203-3556)
Musicians: Jennifer Wakefield and Jane Davidson-Neville
Musical Selections: Jennifer Wakefield, Jane Davidson-Neville, Alison Hari Singh
Prelude
THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE
We give thanks to our Creator for the earth we share with all creatures, and we acknowledge that we are here on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples, and we seek to live respectfully with each other and with the earth. We pray for healing between our cultures and healing from a sense of settler superiority. We believe that Black Lives Matter and that Every Child Matters. We know that love is love, and we welcome everyone who desires to join us in worship. You are a beloved creation of God, and you are most welcome in this place.
Please stand, as you are able.
Opening Hymn Let Us Build a House (Sing a New Creation #10)
Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live.
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace,
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true.
Where all God's children dare to seek to dream God's reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness as a symbol of God's grace.
Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat.
A banquet hall on holy ground where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus is revealed in time and space,
As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard.
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace,
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
All are welcome in this place.
Celebrant: 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 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.
Gloria Glory, Glory, Glory (Glory to God #584)
REFRAIN Glory, glory, glory, glory be to God on high! (2x)
And on earth peace to all people in whom God is well pleased. (2x)
*refrain sung 3 times
The Collect
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another and walk in the way of his commandments, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading
Reader: A reading from the book of Acts.
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. [ACTS 8:26-40]
Reader: The word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 22:24-30: A Responsorial Setting (Voices United, Refrain Two)
REFRAIN In the presence of your people I will praise your name.
My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship God.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise: "May your heart live for ever!"
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations shall bow before the Lord. REFRAIN
For kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules over the nations.
To God alone do all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him. REFRAIN
My soul shall live for God; my descendants shall serve the Lord; they shall be known as the Lord's for ever.
They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that God has done. REFRAIN
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL
As you are able, please stand.
Gospel Acclamation Halle, Halle, Halle (Voices United #958)
REFRAIN Halle, halle, halle-lujah! (3x)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Gospeler: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Gospeler: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
[JOHN 15:1-8]
Gospeler: This is the Gospel of Christ.
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
REFRAIN Halle, halle, halle-lujah! (3x)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Homily The Rev. Alison Hari Singh
May only the truth be spoken and only the truth heard. In the name of God: eternal Source, incarnate Word, and life-giving Spirit. Amen.
This week, as I sat with the readings, I was struck by two things. The first thing that struck me was how foreign ancient Palestine seems to us today while simultaneously being all too familiar (the city of Gaza is named specifically in the first lesson). The second thing was how tied to the land the earliest Christian stories are. The Bible is always naming cities, destinations, significant holy places, as well as trade and travelling routes (the trade route between ancient Palestine and Ethiopia, for example).
Trade routes have always been important to the people of the Levant region and we can see this interestingly enough in the keffiyeh – the cultural scarf of many peoples across what today we call the Middle East. The keffiyeh emphasizes three symbols: olive leaves, fishing nets, and trade routes. Some of you may know olive trees live a very long time – hundreds, even thousands of years. They represent persistence, resilience, and strength. The symbol of the fishing net is obvious. People in the region have long fished the waters in the area, including our spiritual ancestors, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who fished the Sea of Galilee. Finally, the solid lines represent the historic trade routes that brought people to and through and from Jerusalem. This is where we begin today.
Philip, led by the Spirit, is travelling on a deserted road – “a wilderness road” – from Jerusalem to Gaza. It’s about 100 km distance between the two cities. The text does not tell us why the Spirit sends Philip there, but it’s possible that a Christian community had sprung up in Gaza City after the story of Jesus’ began to spread, and he was going there to encourage these new believers. What’s interesting to me about this is that to this very day, a Palestinian Christian community still exists in Gaza City. There are only about 1,000 people left. They are currently living under tremendous duress, but they remain steadfast, much like the olive trees of the region.
On the way to Gaza, Philip encounters a wealthy and powerful Ethiopian – a eunuch in charge of the Queen of Ethiopia’s treasury. The Ethiopian eunuch (whose name we never learn) had come to Jerusalem to worship during Passover (being celebrated right now). Judaism had spread into Ethiopia many generations earlier through the relationship between King Solomon with the Queen of Sheba and through their son Menelik I, as well as the Jewish diaspora that fled south to avoid the Assyrian incursion on the region. This Ethiopian was a Jewish believer, but eunuchs, as you can imagine, were not well received in ancient Judaism. Men who suffered castration, according to Deuteronomy 23, were forbidden from entering the “congregation of the Lord.” But as time passed, regulations lessened, and being a eunuch was no longer considered reason for exclusion. So, when Philip meets this man on the wilderness road to Gaza, he isn’t afraid to engage with the stranger whose skin is darker than his, who a spoke a different tongue, and was not quite like other men.
What Philip sees is a person who is curious. The Ethiopian eunuch is reading from the prophet Isaiah about a man who was led to slaughter, one who was humiliated and denied justice. The Ethiopian is compelled by what he is reading, but he is confused. Who is Isaiah talking about, himself or another person? Philip, seeing an opportunity, shares the Good News with him. Philip explains to him that the person prophesied about in Isaiah is none other than Jesus himself. While we’re not told this explicitly, I think it’s fair to assume that Philip, following Peter’s lead, tells the man that if he wants to follow Jesus he needs to “Repent and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” He is so excited to learn about Jesus that he halts the chariot. “Look! Here is water,” he says. “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Nothing! There’s nothing stopping him! So, they get out of the chariot, go down to the water, and Philip baptizes him. The two cannot continue on their journey together, unfortunately. There’s no time for deeper theological instruction. The man has to go southward, back home to his job in Ethiopia, while Philip goes north to modern day Ashdod, finally stopping in Caesarea.
Thankfully, this encounter wasn’t the end of the story. Rather, like the spread of Judaism through North Africa, the Good News about Jesus spread throughout Egypt and Ethiopia. In fact, the vast majority of Ethiopians today remain Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. So, what’s the takeaway from the Ethiopian eunuch’s spontaneous baptism? St. Paul understood conversion to be an act of engrafting – a new shoot being knit together with a vital root to become one plant. Today’s Gospel, however, offers us a different perspective: pruning and abiding.
Many of you will know that proper pruning is good for trees and shrubs. The gardener selectively removes dead, injured, or diseased parts of the plant to encourage new growth, better appearance, and the overall health of the plant. Pruning is often used to help increase fruit production because when pruned, the plant is able to access more light from overhead, and the stems have less competition for water and nutrients. Consequently, the branches that remain flourish and bear more fruit.
We often think of baptism, especially adult baptism, as someone entering into Christian community from out of nowhere. But from today’s readings, I contend that the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism wasn’t out of the blue. Rather, he was already in the Vine! That is why there was nothing stopping him from being baptized. His baptism was a confirmation of the good work already begun. Baptism is, then, our own recognition that we are already in the Vine and that we need pruning in order to abide more deeply within it. Being part of Christian community to gather, to hear, to pray, and to eat together is how the dead, withered branches – the non-productive stems – are sloughed off so that we can “bear much fruit.” And what is this fruit? St. Paul tells us the Fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. If we fail to undergo that pruning that allows us to abide, what happens? Think about a plant that is never pruned. It dies, slowly, bearing no flowers or fruit, and eventually has to be taken out at the root.
In a few weeks Madison will be baptised (and Vaughn will renew his baptismal vows). While this choice to be baptized may seem out of the blue to your friends, family, and colleagues, being baptized is an acknowledgment of what is already true in you. You are a branch in the Vine and as you are pruned and begin to abide within that Vine you will find that the Vine is strong and deep and nourishing. You’ll also encounter other branches in the Vine: numerous, diverse, and sometimes thorny and tangled up. But that’s what makes the Vine beautiful. That’s what allows the Vine to offer comfort from the hot sun and provide ground cover and nutrients to the earth. So, to all of us I say, abide in the Vine for refreshment and strength, and whatever we long for, whatever we desire, will be done for us. Amen.
Silence is kept.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE**
Intercessor: Shout aloud, O mothers and sons! Fathers and daughters, sisters and brothers, rejoice and exult with all your hearts! Let us offer our prayers and thanksgivings with one voice, calling out Good News.
Jesus Christ is alive and in our midst today.
We look for our Savior among the living.
We pray for all faithful people — for every person that turns to God in longing and in love. Today and every day, pull us out of our graves and into your Divine Life.
Jesus Christ is alive and among us today.
We look for our Redeemer among the living.
We pray for the nations of the earth — for those in authority, and for those under authority that everyone may pursue what is just and right. Come from the four winds, O Breath of Life, and we shall live together in peace.
Jesus Christ is alive and within us today.
We look for our Mediator among the living.
We pray for this world, our garden home — for the rain and the snow, the seed and the sprout — for the birthing room and the last place of rest — for every new creation.
Jesus Christ is alive and beside us today.
We look for our Gardener among the living.
We pray for those who are sick or suffering — for anyone who needs extra help just now. We pray especially for those named here today, Billy, Wendy, Bella, Jane, Margaret, Peter, Raj, Mary, Gerald, Eliza, Irene, Joyce, Leslie, Paul, Helen, Nancy, Donna, Enid, Freda, Charlotte and anyone else who is on our hearts, either silently or aloud…(pause for names)…
Living Lord, renew them in Your love.
Jesus Christ is alive and with us today.
We look for our Sustainer among the living.
We pray for those who have died, and for all who mourn. We pray especially for those named here today, Marjorie, Ann, Gail, Ula, Bob, Rosemary, Mary, Muriel, Mai, Patty, Tricia, Barbara, Bruce and Stephen, and anyone else who is on our hearts, either silently or aloud…(pause for names)…
Eternal One, bring them home and gather them in.
Jesus Christ is alive and in the midst of us today.
We look for our Beloved among the living.
With joy and exultation, we give thanks for the triumph of life over death and for the forgiveness of our sins, offering special thanks for those joys, sorrows, challenges and delights named here today, either silently or aloud…(pause for thanksgivings)…
We are amazed at what has happened.
Jesus Christ is alive and in our hearts today.
Holy One, even before we call, you answer; while we are yet speaking, you hear. We offer up these prayers in the name of the Risen Christ — our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. Amen.
The Peace
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Offertory We Will Take What You Offer (More Voices #196)
We will take what you offer, we will live by your word;
We will love one another and be fed by you, Lord.
We will take what you offer, we will life by your word;
We will love one another and be fed by you, Lord.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Prayer over the Gifts
Celebrant: Let us pray,
Gracious God, you show us your way and give us your divine life. May everything we do be directed by the knowledge of your truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen.
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 our thanks and praise.
Celebrant: It is indeed right that we should praise you, gracious God, for you created all things. You created us and formed us in your own image. When we turned away from you in sin, you did not cease to care for us, but opened a path of salvation for all people. You made a covenant with Israel, and through your servants Abraham and Sarah gave the promise of a blessing to all nations. Through Moses you led your people from bondage into freedom; through the prophets you renewed your promise of salvation. Therefore, with them, and with all your saints who have served you in every age, we give thanks and raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.
Sanctus (St. Bride’s Setting, Iona)
All: 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.
Celebrant: Holy God, source of life and goodness, all creation rightly gives you praise. In the fullness of time, you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Creator of all. He healed the sick and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners; he opened the eyes of the blind and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and to those in need. In all things he fulfilled your gracious will. On the night he freely gave himself to 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.” Gracious God, his perfect sacrifice destroys the power of sin and death; by raising him to life you give us life for evermore.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.
All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Celebrant: Recalling his death, proclaiming his resurrection, and looking for his coming again in glory, we offer you, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who eat and drink at this table may be one body and one holy people, a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, almighty God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant: As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant: Lord, we died with you on the cross.
All: Now we are raised to new life.
Celebrant: We were buried in your tomb.
All: Now we share in your resurrection.
Celebrant: Live in us, that we may live in you.
Celebrant: The gifts of God, for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Angus Dei (St. Bride’s Setting, Iona)
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Prince of Peace, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Bread of Life, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
Come up to the altar following the lead of those ahead of you. If you would like a blessing, as well as, or in place of the bread, indicate this to the priest.
Communion Hymn I Come with Joy (Common Praise #60)
The Silence
A long silence is kept for listening and reflection.
Prayer after Communion
As you are able, please stand.
Celebrant: Let us pray,
God of love, in this Eucharist we have heard your truth and shared in your life. May we always walk in your way, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Glory to God,
All: 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.
The Blessing
Celebrant: May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Common Praise #486)
Celebrant: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia!
People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Postlude
ANNOUNCEMENTS
**The Prayers of the People
The Prayers of the People are adapted from an Easter prayer litany written by Margaret D. McGee. Ms. McGee is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Port Townsend, Washington. To find more resources on prayer and spirituality, go to https://inthecourtyard.com/.
Warden’s Information Night
On Tuesday, April 30th @ 7 pm we will be hosting via Zoom an information night for anyone interested in learning about the duties, responsibilities and joys of being a churchwarden. If you are interested in attending, please contact Rev. Alison.
Ministry of Healing
Today! On April 28th, the clergy at St. Andrew’s will be offering the sacrament of unction with the anointing of oil alongside the Eucharist. This sacrament will normally be offered on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Celebrating World Labyrinth Day
On May 4th from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm, join us at St. Andrew by-the-Lake as we celebrate World Labyrinth Day. There will be opportunity to make personal finger labyrinths, as well as walk the labyrinth. There will also be time for conversation and sharing around the fire. Refreshments will be served.
Rev. Alison Away
Alison will be away from Wednesday May 1st – Tuesday May 7th. The Rev. Douglas Graydon will be with St. Andrew’s that week. Please let Douglas, Bella or Jane know if there are any pastoral emergencies.
Facebook Page for St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Come and visit and contribute to the St. Andrew by-the-Lake Facebook page. Search for: St. Andrews by-the-Lake Church (make sure you don’t get St. Andrews Golf Course). Look on the page for “Follow”. Click on that. You will then receive notices, pictures of your community, and a place for discussion. Any questions? Email Laura Cooper laura.onthelake@gmail.com.
COVID19 Guidelines
- Masking is optional
- You may sit where you are comfortable – please allow space to those who desire it
- Use hand sanitizer before and after taking the Eucharist
Ferry Schedule
The spring schedule is now in effect. This means boats will be running to Centre Island, so more options for walking or riding. Here’s a link to the City’s website:
www.toronto.ca/ferry.
Supporting St. Andrew’s
- The collection plate
- E-Transfer – email: standrewbookings@gmail.com
- PAR - Pre-Authorized Remittance. You direct your bank to deposit your donation into the church account on the 20th of each month. To apply contact Jane Davidson-Neville at standrewbookings@gmail.com.
- Canada Helps – Visit the church website www.standrewbythelake.com, go to the Home Page and click on the Donate button.
- Bring a friend