The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Celtic Morning Prayer

A liturgy adapted from A Wee Worship Book of the Iona Community

May 10, 2020

10:00 a.m.

Our Mission: To know Christ, to make Him known,

and to serve all people according to His example.

Livestream of worship at www.livestream.com/nativitycathedral

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GATHERING MUSIC Celtic Ensemble ACCLAMATION Officiant Alleluia! Christ is risen. People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! HYMN 304 Land of Rest

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OPENING RESPONSES Officiant O God, you summon the day to dawn;

you draw on the morning to waken the earth. All Great is your Name!

Your Name is Love.

Officiant For you the valleys will sing for joy, the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

All Great is your Name! Your Name is Love.

Officiant To you the powerful of the earth shall bow, the poor and the persecuted shall shout for joy.

All Great is your Name! Your Name is Love.

Officiant Your love and justice shall last for ever. All Great is your Name!

Your Name is Love.

SONG OF PRAISE Spirit of God, unseen Skye Boat Song

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THE READINGS

READING Song of Solomon 2:10-13 & 8:6-7

Reader Listen to God’s Word for God’s People. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one’s house, it would be utterly scorned.

For the Word of God in scripture, For the Word of God among us, For the Word of God within us.

People Thanks be to God.

SONG I will kindle my fire

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READING John 15:9-12

Reader Listen to God’s Word for God’s People. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

. For the Word of God in scripture, For the Word of God among us, For the Word of God within us.

People Thanks be to God.

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SONG Love astounding Holy Manna

SERMON Dean Pompa

THE PRAYERS

Officiant We pray this day the words our Lord himself taught us 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.

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PRAYERS OF CONCERN Leader We lift our prayers to you O Lord. Leader May it not be long, Lord…

May it not be long before the world we pray for and the world we inhabit are one. Response “O Lord, hear my pray’r” May it not be long before the domination of wealth over want, White over Black, man over woman, the privileged over the poor, are facts of history not facts of life.

Response “O Lord, hear my pray’r”

Leader May it not be long, Lord. before the earth no longer suffers through human selfishness, so that the valleys can sing again, the meadows laugh, and barren places burst into bloom.

Response “O Lord, hear my pray’r”

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Leader May it not be long, Lord,

before economic power comes only with accountability, and resources are wedded to just purposes.

Response “O Lord, hear my pray’r”

Leader May it not be so long, Lord,

before we vacate the safe refuges of pessimism and cynicism and find wells of hope deeper than shallow pools of optimism.

Response “O Lord, hear my pray’r”

Leader May it not be so long, Lord,

before those who are sick or suffering or dying may know the gentle of touch of wholeness and the depth of Love that is found in you.

Response “O Lord, hear my pray’r”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OFFERTORY

When we bring our offerings to the altar, we bring ourselves. Through the offering, we respond to God’s generosity with our own gifts so that the ministry carried on in God’s name will grow and thrive.

Thank you for remembering to stay current on your financial giving. You may mail your offering to the Cathedral or give online at www.nativitycathedral.org/donate.html

If you would rather make an offering by credit card, please text 610-981-2378 with the amount you would like to contribute (example: $50). Await a reply text and follow the instructions. Thanks be to God for your generosity.

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ANTHEM Come away with me, my love Don Michael Dicie

Fiona Gillespie, voice

Arise, my love, and come away, for winter is past. The light of heaven shines in our hearts, the rain is over and gone. The flowers adorn the bright new earth, new blossoms appear. The songs of doves are heard in our land, their joyful music abounds. The blossoms reach out to the sun, heaven and earth lift up their voice: arise! Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. The light of heaven shines in our hearts, the rain is over and gone. Alleluia.

MEDITATION Air

Abigail Gillespie, harp

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING & ADORATION Leader From before the world began and after the end of eternity

you are God. From the sea bursting from its womb to the wind ceasing, you are God. In the vastness of the universe and forgotten corners of hearts, you are God.

All You are our god, and we bless and adore you.

Leader Because the world is beautiful, and beauty is a tender thing,

and we are caretakers of creation, We need you, God.

All You are our god, and we bless and adore you.

Leader Because human knowledge seems endless, we treat the world as our

oyster and we do not know what we do not know, We need you, God.

All You are our god, and we bless and adore you.

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Leader Because you came among us and sat beside us,

heard us speak and saw us ignore you, healed our pain and let us wound you, loved us to the end, and triumphed over hatred, We need you, God.

All You are our god, and we bless and adore you.

Leader Because you are wonder, and mystery, and Love,

You, not we, are God. And we do indeed need you, O God.

All You are our god, and we bless and adore you.

Silence is kept. Leader Listen. For the God who is Love and created us says:

“Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name. You are mine.” “You are precious to me. I love you, I honor you, I am with you.”

All Maker of all,

we are your children, creatures of your kindness, bearers of your image. This day, we will walk by your light, follow your son, and live by your Spirit. This day, we will not offer to you offerings that cost us nothing. For this is the day that you have made, and we rejoice and are glad in it. Amen.

Leader It is truth that God loves the world!

It is truth that God loves all people! It is truth that Christ Jesus makes all things new! Let us go then as those God-who-is-Love has called, to bear witness to the love and justice of heaven, to be beacons of light and signs of transformation, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

All Amen. Alleluia! Amen.

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HYMN 488 Slane

BENEDICTION Irish Blessing Bob Chilcott

Fiona Gillespie, voice

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God holy you ever in the palm of his hand.

SCATTERING MUSIC Celtic Ensemble

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Ministers

Officiants The Rev. Canon Dale T. Grandfield The Very Reverend Anthony R. Pompa Preacher The Very Reverend Anthony R. Pompa Director of Music Ministry & Organist Canon Stephen Williams Celtic Ensemble Fiona Gillespie, voice Abigail Gillespie, harp Alison Gillespie, fiddle Paul Holmes Morton, theorbo

Texts of this liturgy were adapted from A Wee Worship Book : 5th Incarnation by John L. Bell (1949-) of the Iona Community. Wild Goose Resource Group, 1999.

321 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015 www.nativitycathedral.org

Phone: 610-865-0727 Fax: 610-865-0447

COPYRIGHT PERMISSION: From The Hymnal 1982 Copyright © Church Publishing, Inc. Used by permission. Rite Stuff License #R20F-01384-7594