HOLY CROSS EPISCOPAL CHURCH Of Hayward and Castro Valley

You've got questions…We've got questions! Let's go on a journey together...

Third Sunday in Lent, Year C

10:15 A.M., March 20, 2022

RECTOR: The Rev. Mark Spaulding, Email: mark@holycrosscv.org

In case of pastoral emergency please contact a priest at (510) 889-7233

ASSOCIATE RECTOR: The Rev. Martha Kuhlmann

PASTORAL ASSOCIATE: The Rev. Pamela Cranston

DEACON: The Rev. Deacon Patricia Pearson

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: Ray Hickman

RECTOR’S WARDEN: Diane Granlund PEOPLE’S WARDEN: Janet Williams

NURSERY: Eli Spaulding

BOOKKEEPERS: Diane Granlund & Pat Oakman

OFFICE MANAGER: Bonnie Pikul, office hours: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Mon. – Fri

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Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:15 a.m.

Welcome to Holy Cross Episcopal Church. We are glad you are here and hope you

enjoy your time with us. Please join us for community time and refreshments in Turner

Hall right across the way after the service so we may get acquainted with you. If you are

here for the first time please take a moment to fill out a “Welcome to Our Guests” card,

and place it in the offering basin or hand it to one of our clergy. We would love to get to

know you better!

The octagon shaped Information Center out on the upper patio beside the church contains

brochures and various forms of printed information about Holy Cross. We invite you to

stop by after our worship today and pick up anything that looks interesting.

A special note to parents with young children: Relax! Your children are most welcome and

encouraged to share our worship time! We expect children to make noise and behave as

God has created them—as children! Our nursery care has been temporarily suspended

due to Covid precautions.

There are two toy boxes located at the back of the church. One is in front of the

Baptismal Font and the other is by the rocker in the left corner of the church (the rocker

is for parents and babes in arms), both are full of soft toys and books for the children’s

use during the service. Please see that the toys are returned after the service for use next

Sunday.

Children’s Worship Bulletins: KidsWord and Little KidsWord for the pre-schoolers are

available on clipboards at the back table of the church. Please encourage children to pick

one up as they enter the church and return the clipboards to the entrance table before they

leave.

Again, we are delighted that you are here to worship with us.

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About Worship on our Lenten Journey

For the five Sundays of Lent we will use a more Inclusive language (i.e. sensitivity to gender-neutral language when referring to God) form of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) for our worship which is taken from an Episcopal resource called Enriching Our Worship. This resource is offered by the Standing Liturgical Commission to the Church through the General Convention as an enrichment of our liturgical prayer. This collection is part of an ongoing process of listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Church through the diverse experience of those who gather to worship and to celebrate the sacramental rites which fashion and identify us as the People of God. Expanding our vocabulary of prayer and the ways in which we name the Holy One bear witness to the fact that the mystery of God transcends all categories of knowing, including those of masculine and feminine. As we move through these Sundays of Lent, we invite you to ponder this new language and then share your thoughts with the clergy and Vestry. We look forward to hearing your thoughts about our Lenten worship.

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 96

All are invited to participate in a time of quiet preparation and anticipation before the service begins. In this spirit, please remember to silence cell phones and lower voices as you enter the sanctuary. May you be richly blessed by God's presence this day.

WELCOME AND HIGHLIGHTS

When necessary we begin our liturgy with the tolling of our prayer gong. We ring the bell once for each child of God taken from this world by the latest gun violence. We pray that we will, very soon, never have to ring our gong again.

A Penitential Order

On this day, the Altar Party enters in silence. All stand who are able and the Presider begins the liturgy with the Penitential Order and the Collect of the Day.

Presider Bless God who forgives all our sins People God’s mercy endures for ever.

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

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THE CONFESSION

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 ABSOLUTION

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

Holy God: Trisagion (S 102) Sing three times

Presider May God be with you. People And also with you. Presider Let us pray.

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COLLECT OF THE DAY:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word of God

A bell will sound following each reading so that we may have a brief moment of silence to reflect on what the Spirit is saying.

THE LESSON Please sit. EXODUS 3:1-15

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what

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shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.” Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. People Thanks be to God. PSALM 63 The congregation is invited to join the choir in chanting the entire psalm.

S414

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; * my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water. Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, * that I might behold your power and your glory. For your loving-kindness is better than life it-self; * my lips shall give you praise. So will I bless you as long as I live * and lift up my hands in your Name. For you have been my helper, * and under the shadow of your wings I will re-joice.

My soul clings to you; * your right hand holds me fast.

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THE EPISTLE: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. People Thanks be to God. “THY WORD” Please stand and sing together AMY GRANT

Chorus

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, think I've lost my way, I see You there beside me. Nothing will I fear, as long as You are near, Please be near me to the end. (Chorus)

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THE HOLY GOSPEL LUKE 13:1-9

The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Luke. People Glory to you, O Christ.

At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’"

The Gospel of our Savior. People Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON The people sit. THE REV. PAMELA CRANSTON

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OUR AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Said together, standing

During the Lenten Season, we will be offering five creeds from various resources, one for each Sunday of Lent. They will take the place of our usual Nicene Creed, used on most Sundays, and Apostles Creed, used at baptisms and memorials. This is yet another way to “shake us awake” during this season. Our hope and prayer is that these different expressions of faith will give us a different awareness of what it is we believe. And when we return to the more familiar creeds, perhaps we will hear them with new ears and say them will new intention. As always, we are interested in your thoughts and responses to this experiment!

STATEMENT OF FAITH WRITTEN BY WOMEN FOR THE WOMEN IN THEOLOGY GROUP: O God, the source of our being and the goal of all our longing, we believe and trust in you. The whole earth is alive with your glory and all that has life is sustained by you. We commit ourselves to cherish your world and to seek your face. O God, embodied in a human life, we believe and trust in you. Jesus our brother, born of the woman Mary, you confronted the proud and the powerful, and welcomed as your friends those of no account. Holy Wisdom of God, firstborn of creation, you emptied yourself of power, and became foolishness for our sake. You labored with us upon the cross, and have brought us forth to the hope of resurrection. We commit ourselves to struggle against evil and to choose life. O God, life-giving Spirit, Spirit of healing and comfort, of integrity and truth, we believe and trust in you. Warm-winged Spirit, brooding over creation, rushing wind and Pentecostal fire, we commit ourselves to work with you and renew our world. Amen. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Winter is turning toward Spring, it is time for Lent. In our neighborhoods, we see petals everywhere-blooming flowers, blossoms in the trees, floating around us on the breeze and covering the ground. We delight in these petals, and in the strawberries, artichokes, and birdsong, too. Sometimes, being a human is so sweet. Thank you God for our beautiful world.

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And even as our hearts surge with springtime feelings, we know this beautiful world is also a wilderness. War, fear, injustice, sickness, and death surround us and facing our humanity is hard. Wherever we turn, dust; wherever we step, terrain that challenges us. God of the petals and the wilderness, be near us now. Mother God, Lent reminds us we need you. To comfort all the hurt, to forgive all our wrongdoing. We need that merciful lap to sit in and recount how being a human in this world means suffering. As we face our humanity, be with us. Mother, you hold all your children in this way, there is not one who isn’t loved and cherished by you. No matter how powerful we may think we are, we are dust and to dust will return. We need your strong love to surround us. As we face our humanity, hold us close. In that embrace, we are held with those who have gone before us. In God’s embrace, death doesn’t separate us. As we face our humanity, we seek the wisdom of their lives and stories. Walking this road of Lent, ashes and plain cloth line our path. Being present to the wilderness in the world and in ourselves is painful. We can falter, look away, pretend we aren’t connected. God, give us courage to walk in this wilderness. May the journey reveal new depths of your love for us and new understandings of our humanity.

THE PEACE

Presider The peace of Christ be always with you. People And also with you.

THE PRAYER OF THE COMMUNITY

Almighty and gracious God, giver of every good and perfect gift, we give you thanks for your servants as they celebrate a special milestone or anticipate a time of travel. Watch over them and protect them. Bless and guide them wherever they go and surround them with your loving care on every side.

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Grant them wisdom in the living of their lives, and grace to keep the vows and promises they have made. And may your peace, which passes all understanding, abide in their hearts all the days of their lives, through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Holy Communion

ANTHEM: HERE, O MY LORD, I SEE THEE FACE TO FACE ARRANGED BY ELMO MERCER TRISH GRIMA, TRUMPET

Your offerings, freely given, of your labor, prayers and financial gifts, makes possible Christ’s

ministry this week.

Presider May God be with you. People And also with you.

Presider Lift up your hearts. People We lift them to God.

Presider Let us give thanks to our God. People It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is truly right, and good and joyful, to give you thanks, all-holy God, source of life and fountain of mercy. You have filled us and all creation with your blessing and fed us with your constant love; you have redeemed us in Jesus Christ and knit us into one body. Through your Spirit you replenish us and call us to fullness of life.

Therefore, joining with Angels and Archangels and with the faithful of every generation, we lift our voices with all creation as we say:

Presider and People

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.

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of the universe and giver of life. You formed us in your own image and called us to dwell in your infinite love. You gave the world into our care that we might be your faithful stewards and show forth your bountiful grace.

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But we failed to honor your image in one another and in ourselves; we would not see your goodness in the world around us; and so we violated your creation, abused one another, and rejected your love. Yet you never ceased to care for us, and prepared the way of salvation for all people. Through Abraham and Sarah you called us into covenant with you. You delivered us from slavery, sustained us in the wilderness, and raised up prophets to renew your promise of salvation. Then, in the fullness of time, you sent your eternal Word, made mortal flesh in Jesus. Born into the human family, and dwelling among us, he revealed your glory. Giving himself freely to death on the cross, he triumphed over evil, opening the way of freedom and life. On the night before he died for us, Our Savior Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his friends, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” As supper was ending, Jesus 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 poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Presider and People

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

The Presider continues

Remembering his death and resurrection, we now present to you from your creation this bread and this wine. By your Holy Spirit may they be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Grant that we who share these gifts may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ’s Body in the world. Bring us into the everlasting heritage of your daughters and sons, that with all your saints, past, present, and yet to come, we may praise your Name for ever. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

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As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,

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. BREAKING OF THE BREAD

Presider We break this bread to share in the Body of Christ. People We who are many are one body, for we all share in the one

bread.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE COMMUNION

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Everyone, without exception, is welcome to come

forward for communion or a prayer of blessing.

The communion meal is the central act of hospitality and community for the Christian

Church and in this spirit, we invite all who would like to receive communion today to

come forward to partake of this feast of feasts!

Adults and Children are invited to receive the bread.

If you are unable to come forward to receive Communion or a prayer of blessing, please

notify an usher and Eucharistic Ministers will come to you.

The people sit, stand, or kneel

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HYMNAL 313 Words: John Brownlie

Music: Johann Cruger

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Let us pray

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER The People Stand

Compassionate God, you have fed us with the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation. Sustain us in our Lenten pilgrimage: may our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; and our prayer, the song of grateful hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. Sending out of Eucharistic Visitors.

Presider In the Name of God, we send you forth to share communion with those who are absent from this table.

People As you have been fed, now feed others. Presider Our prayers are with you, go in peace. People Thanks be to God.

Let us bow our hearts before our God.

The people kneel, stand, or sit and the Presider says the following:

Look mercifully on this your family, Loving God, that by your great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore; through Christ our Savior. Amen.

HYMNAL 344 Sung by all, standing Words: John Fawcett

Music: Sicilian melody

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DISMISSAL (Response: “Thanks be to God.”) POSTLUDE: I SING THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD ARR. BY ANNA LAURA PAGE

PRESIDING: The Rev. Martha Kuhlmann

PREACHING: The Rev. Pamela Cranston

EUCHARISTIC MINISTER: David Heusdens

MUSICAL LEADERSHIP: Ray Hickman

LECTORS: Andrew White & Debbie White

HEALING TEAM: Wendy Jacobsen

USHERS: Beth Watson & Janet Williams

THE EUCHARISTIC BREAD BAKED BY: Diane Granlund

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: Jill Gidlund

OFFERTORY COUNTERS: Tina Baggot & David Fencsik