Prelude

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Welcome to St. Alban’s Episcopal ChurchSunday, March 7, 2021The 3rd Sunday of Lent

Before we begin, let us acknowledge that we stand on ancestral and traditional Snohomish, Coast Salish land. They cared for this land for millennia before it was taken from them. We honor them and pray for the wisdom to care for it as well as they.

Penitential OrderOpening Sentence BCP 351Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.His mercy endures for ever.

Decalogue BCP 350Hear the commandments of God to his people: I am the Lord your God who brought you out of bondage. You shall have no other gods but me. Amen. Lord have mercy. You shall not make for yourself any idol. Amen. Lord have mercy. You shall not invoke with malice the Name of the Lord your God. Amen. Lord have mercy. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Amen. Lord have mercy. Honor your father and your mother. Amen. Lord have mercy. You shall not commit murder. Amen. Lord have mercy. You shall not commit adultery. Amen. Lord have mercy. You shall not steal. Amen. Lord have mercy. You shall not be a false witness. Amen. Lord have mercy.

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You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. Amen. Lord have mercy.

Confession BCP 352

The Deacon or Celebrant then 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.

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.

Trisagion BCP 356Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.

The Collect of the Day3

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 Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The First Reading

A Reading from Exodus, Chapter 20 beginning with the 1st verse.

Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

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You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.Thanks be to God.

Psalm 19 Caeli enarrant BCP 606

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *and the firmament shows his handiwork.

2 One day tells its tale to another, *and one night imparts knowledge to another.

3 Although they have no words or language, *and their voices are not heard,

4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *and their message to the ends of the world.

5 In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;it rejoices like a champion to run its course.

6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens

and runs about to the end of it again; *nothing is hidden from its burning heat.

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7 The law of the Lord is perfectand revives the soul; *the testimony of the Lord is sureand gives wisdom to the innocent.

8 The statutes of the Lord are justand rejoice the heart; *the commandment of the Lord is clearand gives light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is cleanand endures for ever; *the judgments of the Lord are trueand righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,more than much fine gold, *sweeter far than honey,than honey in the comb.

11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *and in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can tell how often he offends? *cleanse me from my secret faults.

13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;let them not get dominion over me; *then shall I be whole and sound,and innocent of a great offense.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my

heart be acceptable in your sight, *O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

The Second Reading

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A Reading from Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 1 beginning with the 18th verse. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn There Is a Balm in Gilead (music bulletin p 18)

The Gospel Reading

The Holy Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to John.Glory to you, Lord Christ.

John 2:13-22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things

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out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.The Gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

The Apostles’ Creed BCP 96

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of the People Form VBCP 389

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Deacon or other leader

In peace, let us pray to the Lord, saying, "Lord, have mercy" (or "Kyrie eleison").For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the day of your coming, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For N. our Presiding Bishop, for N. (N.) our own Bishop(s), for all bishops and other ministers, and for all the holy people of God, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our divisions may cease, and that all may be one as you and the Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For those who do not yet believe, and for those who have lost their faith, that they may receive the light of the Gospel, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the world, that a spirit of respect and forbearance may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For those in positions of public trust [especially                                                         ], that they may serve justice, and promote the dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.9

For all who live and work in this community [especially                                                          ], we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy.For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For this congregation [for those who are present, and for those who are absent], that we may be delivered from hardness of heart, and show forth your glory in all that we do, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For ourselves; for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For all who have commended themselves to our prayers; for our families, friends, and neighbors; that being freed from anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For                                                         , we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

For all who have died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the saints, they may

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have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal, we pray to you, O Lord.Lord, have mercy.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of [the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, (blessed N.) and] all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.To you, O Lord our God.

Silence

The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect, or the following Doxology

For yours is the majesty, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The Peace

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.And also with you.

Announcements

The Offertory

Offertory Hymn #685 Rock of Ages (music bulletin p 19)

Eucharistic Prayer A BCP 361

The people remain standing. The Celebrant, whether bishop or priest, faces them and sings or says

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.

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Then, 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.

You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.

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:Celebrant 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.

The people stand or kneel.

Then the Celebrant continues

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or to lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he

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broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:Celebrant and People

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

The Celebrant continues

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say, Our Father, who art in heaven,     hallowed be thy Name,     thy kingdom come,     thy will be done,         on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

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And forgive us our trespasses,     as we forgive those        who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,     but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,     and the power, and the glory,     for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the BreadChrist our Passover is sacrificed for us;Therefore let us keep the feast.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,have mercy upon us.O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,have mercy upon us.O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,grant us thy peace.

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following Invitation.

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.

Communion Hymn

Post Communion Prayer BCP 365Eternal 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

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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.

Solemn Prayer over the PeopleLook mercifully on this your family, Almighty God, that by your great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

DismissalLet us go forth in the name of Christ. Thanks be to God.

Postlude

Thanks to Fr Greg for submitting this meditation for our reflection…

Nicodemus and the Truth – Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening in Acceptance, Aliveness, Awareness, Belief, Change, Character

“How can one be born again?” Nicodemus to Jesus

I often think Nicodemus, the one Pharisee who secrrtly believed in Jesus and who would meet with him anonymously at night to have deep spiritual conversations, but who would never acknowledge his questions of spirit or his association with Jesus in the light of day. Of course, this did nothing to the essence of Jesus, but traumatically thwarted and plagued Nicodemus for the rest of his days.

This story shows the quiet pain that comes from not honouring what we know to be true, even if all we know to be true are the questions we are asking. It is even more useful to realize that we each carry a Jesus and a

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Nicodemus within each of us, that is, we each have a divine inner voice that opens us to the truth and a mediating social voice that is reluctant to show our truth to others.

The famous British child psychologist D.W. Winnicott called these aspects of personality our True and False Self. It is the True Self that lets us know what is authentic and what has become artificial, while the False Self is a diplomat of distrust, enforcing a lifestyle of guardedness, secrecy and complaint.

In everyday terms, this means that each time we experience a change in reality as we know it, we must choose whether to declare or hide what we know to be true. At such moments we either need to bring the way we have been living into accord with that shift of reality, or we need to resist the change. Thus, in daily ways, whether we live in our True or False Self depends on our willingness to stay real. And so, over time staying real becomes the work of keeping our actions in the world connected to the truth of our inner being, allowing our True Self to see the light of day.

Very often, we continue, out of habit or fear, to behave in old ways, even though we know that the way of things has changed. Time and again, I have found myself at this crucial juncture: having to admit that what was essential is no longer essential and then needing to summon the courage to make the act of living essential again.

I know that every time I hear or see the truth but hold to the old way – of being or thinking or relating – I am giving my life over to the Nicodemus in me. And in so doing, I embark on a divided life, in which I listen to the divine inner voice secretly at night, but deny it day after day.

But this moment of inner embarrassment, when we catch ourselves in the act of split living, is also the recurring chance for us to honour once again what we know to be true. For anyone, no matter how wounded or distressed, can in a moment of truth let the God within show itself out here in the world. However small or fleeing, this one repeatable act can restore our common and vital sense of being alive.

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St. Alban’s Episcopal Church21405 82nd Place West, Edmonds, WA 98026 Office (425) 778-0371

Sunday Worship 10:30am Facebook LiveAdult Education Sundays 9:30am Zoom

Wednesday Evening Prayer 6pm Facebook Live Email: stalbansedmonds@gmail.com

Fr. Greg Email: gwpeters.stalbansedmonds@gmail.comWebsite www.stalbansedmonds.org

The Rt. Rev. Gregory Rickel, Bishop Diocese of OlympiaThe Rev. Greg Peters, Rector

The Rev. Dr. James Gilman, DeaconJohn Lehrack, Music Director and Organist

Dan Mullene, Parish Care Minister

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AnnouncementsAdult Bible Study Sundays at 9:30am on Zoom: Join us for Sunday morning bible study, 9:30am on Zoom, led by Eric Hanson. The group is now studying the book of Ecclesiastes. The Zoom link and info are:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84765370758?pwd=OEFMd20xL0NJNkkzQ0xJbHdaRGJ1Zz09Meeting ID: 847 6537 0758 Meeting Password: SeekFirstZoom Coffee Hour 12:00pm on Sundays: Join us for Zoom Coffee Hour, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85174822634?pwd=aW0vdTYrNGtZTGVBQmdzbEJQYm9BZz09Meeting ID: 851-7482-2634 Password: 657057 Taize at St. Alban’s on YouTube: Be sure to catch the next Taizé service presentation Sunday, March 7th at 7:00pm on YouTube. Our wonderful, gifted music director John Lehrack has prepared several programs to help us enrich our at-home worship. You can access it (and former ones) from a link on the front page of St. Alban’s website www.stalbansedmonds.org .

Lenten Soup Suppers: Our Lenten Reflections continue on Wednesday, March 10, with Jeannie Burpee guiding our discussion on Reflect/Remember. The program be-gins with Evening Prayer on Facebook Live at 6:00pm. Then switch to Zoom for a bit of fellowship, and Reflections discussions which begin at 6:45pm. We are using Episcopal Relief and Develop-ments Lenten Meditations for this year’s series of evening programs. The ERD reflections are online so you can receive one daily directly to your email, or you can print the daily meditations https://www.episcopalrelief.org/church-in-action/lent/ If you aren’t able to get online for information, please contact the Church Office, and we will get a hard copy printed for you. Here is the Zoom link and info:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86467078774?pwd=L08vdmdVVGtMRzNqVTRRczVjOEpldz09 Meeting ID: 864 6707 8774 Passcode: Lent

Spring Food Bank Drive Through Saturday March 20 th : We’ll welcome Spring with a Drive Through Food Drive on Saturday, March 20 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Help us spread the word and plan on March 20 being a day of helping others and enjoying the coming Spring. Some of our folks have committed to helping out at the Food Drive already, but more assistance is needed. Please let me know if you will be on our power team to collect donations and greet donors for the Edmonds Food Bank. Let’s add the Food Drive to our shopping lists so we can catch the sales between now and March 20! We can make this a really great event and help fill the

St. Alban’s seeks to be a welcoming, Christ-centered community committed to sharing Christ’s love, empowering people to grow spiritually, deepening our relationship with Christ,

and living out our faith in our community and the world.

Weekly Sunday Outreach Basket Offerings

1st week—Food Bank2nd week—Discretionary Fund

3rd week— 4th Quarter Outreach: ChildStrive

4th week—Capital Campaign5th Week—One Thousand Days of

Please continue donations and pledges by

Mail to church 21405-82nd Pl W, Edmonds, WA 98026

Drop off through the slot in Greg’s door Bank Bill Pay – ask bank to send check to St.

Alban’s Online donation, go to

Serving in Today’s WorshipCelebrant & Preacher Father Greg PetersDeacon Jim GilmanMusic Director & Organist John Lehrack

Scripture Readings for March 14th Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-2

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