We apologize for the poor audio quality of today's recording. Hopefully all will be back to normal next week.
It’s the Second Sunday in Lent, the Season in the Church Year of lengthening our roots in God’s love, and the roots of God’s love in us. In Lent, as especially our Old Testament Reading and Gospel this Sunday remind us, we’re drawn into the Divine Drama of Redemption, as we remember how our Lord gives himself completely to us, doing whatever it takes, whatever the pain, so that all the powers of darkness may be overcome, and his love and life be in us, and we in him, for ever.
We’re blessed to have Bob with us, to assist with the Liturgy, including preaching the Sermon. Our Virtual Choir is sharing an Offertory Anthem with us and leading us in 6 of our Hymns. “Virtual Paul” is accompanying us in the other. Stacy and Murray and on video, sharing our First and Second Readings from Holy Scripture, respectively. Dinah is present in-person to lead us in the Prayers of the People, including A Prayer for Ukraine issued by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; and a Prayer in Response to COVID-19 from the Episcopal Church, USA. After this, we have the priceless gift of receiving within the life of the One who laid down his life in love for us, feeding on him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving, as we share Communion physically or spiritually together. Last, our Liturgy ends, and the service begins, with a “Sending” forth to help spread the love of the Lord throughout our broken world, in word and in deed.
During Lent, the cover and theme slides for our Services will reflect the ongoing place in our hearts for the people of Ukraine, with images of Jesus made by Ukrainian artists. The image this week (shown in this posting) is from “Post vs. Proto Renaissance,” the amazing mosaic of hundreds of thousands of hand-painted wooden eggs from Ukrainian artist Oksana Mas (https://maseggs.com/), each egg representing the cravings and passions of humankind.
Today’s Service of Holy Eucharist will be livestreamed on our main Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stpaulscalgary) at 9:30 am. Following the service, the video will be posted on our YouTube Channel, and a link to the service will be added here. To watch this service in full screen mode, please click on the “Watch on YouTube” button in the lower left-hand corner of the video. Please download the Order of Service in the Sermon Notes above if you would like to follow along. If you are sharing this Service online and don’t have Reserved Sacrament, you are invited to say the Prayer for Communion for those receiving Spiritual Communion also available above.
Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from:
(a) ONE LICENSE with license # A-713985, and/or
(b) CCLI with Streaming License # 20351479.
All rights reserved.