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Welcome to St. Alban’s Episcopal ChurchSunday, November 1, 2020

All Saint’s Day22nd Sunday after Pentecost

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

Prelude

Opening Acclamation BCP 355Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.And blessed be his kingdom now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

GloriaGlory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The CollectAlmighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The First ReadingA Reading from Revelation, Chapter 7 beginning with the 9th verse

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Revelation 7:9-17

After this I, John, looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,

"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

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

The Psalm: Psalm 34:1-10,22 Benedicam Dominum

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

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2 I will glory in the LORD; * let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD; * let us exalt his Name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me * and delivered me out of all my terror.

5 Look upon him and be radiant, * and let not your faces be ashamed.

6 I called in my affliction and the LORD heard me * and saved me from all my troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him, * and he will deliver them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; * happy are they who trust in him!

9 Fear the LORD, you that are his saints, * for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, * but those who seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.

22 The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, * and none will be punished who trust in him.

The Second ReadingA Reading from the first epistle of John, Chapter 3 beginning with the 1st verse1 John 3:1-3

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.4

Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn #293 I Sing a Song of the Saints of God (music on page 17 of bulletin)

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

Matthew 5:1-12When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

The Gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

The Nicene Creed BCP 358

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

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maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of the Peoplefrom the Anglican Church of New Zealand, NZBCP page 413-14

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Heavenly Father,you have promised to hear when we prayin the name of your Son.Therefore in confidence and trustwe pray for the Church:

For Justin our Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael our Presiding Bishop, Greg our Diocesan Bishop, Brian our Assisting Bishop, Jim our Deacon, and Greg our Priest; and for the ministries and missions of this Diocese, especially [Diocesan Cycle of Prayer].

Father, enliven the Church for its missionthat we may be salt of the earth and light to the world.Breathe fresh life into your people.Give us power to reveal Christ in word and action.We pray for the world:

For the just and proper use of your creation; for those affected by Climate Change and for the wisdom, skill, and will to heal our planet; for those who suffer from natural disasters, human caused famine, pestilence, and tragedy, [especially ______]; and

Creator of all,lead us and every people into ways of justice and peace.That we may respect one another in freedom and truth.Awaken in us a sense of wonder for the earth and all that is in it.Teach us to care creatively for its resources.We pray for the community:

For those whom we have granted authority, especially António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Donald, President of the United States, Jay, Governor of Washington State, and Mike Nelson, Mayor of Edmonds. We pray for our nation in the midst of this election, may we choose wise, fair, and just leaders.And for peaceful resolution of conflict in every land, [especially in __________] and the United States; for a blessing on our elections; and for those who work for reconciliation and justice.

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God of truth, inspire with your wisdomthose whose decisions affect the lives of othersthat all may act with integrity and courage.Give grace to all whose lives are linked with ours.May we serve Christ in one another, and love as he loves us.

We pray for those in need:For the victims of Covid-19, those who have been sickened, those who care for them, those who anxious because of it, and those who have died from it. For the unemployed, the underemployed, and those whose jobs are lost forever; for those experiencing homelessness; and for those threatened with food insecurity. And for those on our Congregational Prayer List:

God of hope, comfort and restoreall who suffer in body, mind or spirit.May they know the power of your healing love.Make us willing agents of your compassion.Strengthen us as we share in making people whole.We remember those who have died and those who mourn:(Particular intercessions/thanksgivings may be offered.)We remember with thanksgiving those who have died in the faithof Christ, and those whose faith is known to you alone.Father, into your hands we commend them.Give comfort to those who mourn.Bring them peace in their time of loss.We praise you for Alban and all your saintswho have entered your eternal glory.May their example inspire and encourage us.We pray for ourselves and our ministries:

For all the blessings of this life, especially those organizations that we support spiritually and financially: Chase Lake Community School, the West Edmonds Cooperative Preschool, Templo Emanuel, and ChildStrive (formerly Little Red School

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House) the Outreach ministry we are supporting this quarter, which helps advance the quality of life for children ages birth to three years with, or at risk of, developmental delays and disabilities.

For those celebrating Birthdays and Anniversaries this week, [especially _____].

and for the members of this congregation, especially Congregational Cycle of Prayer, for whom we give particular thanks this week.

Lord, you have called us to serve you.

Grant that we may walk in your presence:your love in our hearts,your truth in our minds,your strength in our wills;until, at the end of our journey,we know the joy of our homecomingand the welcome of your embrace,through Jesus Christ our Lord.    Amen.

Confession and Absolution BCP 360Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.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.

The PeaceThe Peace of the Lord be always with you.

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And also with you.

Anniversaries & Birthdays

Announcements

The Offertory

Offertory Hymn #287 For All the Saints (music on page 18-19 of bulletin)

Eucharistic Prayer 3

Presider The Lord be with you.PeopleAnd also with you.Presider Lift up your hearts.PeopleWe lift them up to the Lord.Presider Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.PeopleIt is right to give our thanks and praise.

Presider All thanks and praise are yours at all times and in all places, our true and loving God; through Jesus Christ, your eternal Word, the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things. You laid the foundation of the world and enclosed the sea when it burst out from the womb; You brought forth all creatures of the earth and gave breath to humankind.Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing, all you create is a sign of hope for our journey; and so as the morning stars sing your praises we join with the heavenly beings and all creation as we shout for joy: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.

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Glory and honor are yours, Creator of all, your Word has never been silent; You called a people to yourself, as a light to the nations, You delivered them from bondage, and led them to the land of promise. Of your grace, You gave Jesus to be human, to share our life, to proclaim the coming our your reign, and give himself for us, a fragrant offering. Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, You have freed us from sin, brought us into your life, reconciled us to You, and restored us to the glory you intend for us.We thank You that on the night before he died for us Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, gave it to his friends, and said: “Take, eat, this is my Body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper Jesus took the cup of wine, said the blessing, gave it to his friends, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This cup is the new Covenant in my Blood, poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.”And so, remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to You these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ:Presider and People

Dying, you destroyed our death.Rising, you restored our life.Christ Jesus, come in glory!

PresiderSend your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine that they may be to us the Body and Blood of your Christ. Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power, may be a people of hope, justice, and love.Giver of Life, draw us together in the Body of Christ, and in the fullness of time gather us with blessed Mary, Joseph, Alban, and all your people into the joy of our true eternal home.Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, we worship You our God and Creator in voices of unending praise.

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Presider and PeopleBlessed are you now and forever. 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. 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.

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

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

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 PrayerGod of abundance, You have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; You have united us with Christ and one another; and You have made us one with all your people in heaven and earth. Now send us forth in the

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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

power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Blessing

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

Postlude

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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

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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 Offerings1st week—Food Bank

2nd week—Discretionary Fund3rd week—Outreach: Cocoon House

4th week—Capital Campaign

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

AnnouncementsBecoming the Beloved Community 1 st Wednesdays 6:30 pm: You are invited to join the Zoom Conversation about becoming the Beloved Community on Wednesday November 4th at 6:30pm on Zoom. We’ll follow up on the words we heard from the Bishop at Stewfest as well as other ideas about going forward with these conversations. Hope you join us! The link is:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85996400391?pwd=dENwN2VuOWFFeGVXcEJsMmVIZWZzQT09Meeting ID:  859 9640 0391

Zoom Coffee Hour 12:00pm on Sundays: Join us for Zoom Coffee Hour,

Lives shaped by The Beatitudes

BY MARY MACGREGOR

Today’s Gospel recalls Jesus’ sermon on the mount, commonly referred to as The Beatitudes. In his usual manner, Jesus surprised his followers by uttering godly, countercultural truth. In essence, his

teaching that day laid the foundation for what it means to live a Christian life.

What does it mean to be merciful, pure in heart, meek, poor in spirit, mournful, to be a peacemaker, to hunger and thirst for righteousness and be willing to be persecuted for it? The Beatitudes are a guide that, when studied, reveal layers of meaning for us as believers. They challenge many of our basic human desires and behaviors. Of ultimate importance, they clearly reveal what God seeks to bless.

Aren’t we fortunate that our God is forgiving and full of grace as we strive to be transformed by these teachings? Our journey of formation requires change and opening our eyes to see God in action all around us. Included in this change is seeing God’s endless blessings poured out upon us and developing a posture of gratitude in return.

Being thankful changes us for the better. Being thankful changes our perspective on life and can profoundly impact our understanding of God’s generosity. Being thankful can shape us to be stewards of all God has entrusted to us. Being thankful softens our fears. Being thankful turns fear of scarcity into joyful gratitude for God’s abundance.

We remember the saints who have gone before us on this All Saints Day. Some were revered as saints of old. Some were modern day saints. Some were simple folks like you and me. One distinguishing characteristic of saints is that we can see how they embodied and lived Jesus’ teachings, these very Beatitudes. They generously gave of their lives so much so that we remember them today. We are confident they were

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AnnouncementsBecoming the Beloved Community 1 st Wednesdays 6:30 pm: You are invited to join the Zoom Conversation about becoming the Beloved Community on Wednesday November 4th at 6:30pm on Zoom. We’ll follow up on the words we heard from the Bishop at Stewfest as well as other ideas about going forward with these conversations. Hope you join us! The link is:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85996400391?pwd=dENwN2VuOWFFeGVXcEJsMmVIZWZzQT09Meeting ID:  859 9640 0391

Zoom Coffee Hour 12:00pm on Sundays: Join us for Zoom Coffee Hour,

For reflection• How do The Beatitudes

impact your understanding of God’s generosity?

• How has that understanding changed you?

blessed by God for their faithfulness. May we be thankful for their witness and see in them lives shaped by The Beatitudes and be willing to do the same.

Canon Mary MacGregor is a member of the board of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship. She has been deeply involved in congregational development for over 25 years, and served as Canon for Congregational Vitality and Mission Amplification for the Diocese of Texas.

November 1, 2020 – All Saints’ Day (A)Kingdom Unity – A Reflection

As the U.S. approaches Election Day, November 3rd, Sermons That Work is teaming up with The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations and four writers from across the Church to reflect on the Christian call to participate in our common life together through voting.

God designed us for relationship. We’ve seen this lived out in profound ways this year as we’ve faced the pandemic and resultant isolation.

Isolation can invite transparency and real depth, but it can also invite insecurity and craziness. Studies have shown us the increase in broken marriages and in people acting out in ways we never would have anticipated. During lockdown and isolation, their inner demons came roaring to the surface, and they hurt themselves and other people in profound, often irreversible, ways.

As I read the epistle for today (1 John 3:1-3), it strikes me that what we are experiencing now, with our isolation and separation and division, goes directly against what John the Elder tells us will happen at the end of the age. On that day, we who know and love Christ will stand among the “great multitude that no one could count.” And we will stand there not with people just like ourselves but with those from “every nation, all tribes and people and language.”

Like it or not, our culture – particularly television – has trained us to view almost any commentary around our common life as a statement of political affiliation. We somehow define ourselves over against the political beliefs of someone else. We don’t think of them as those created in the image of God; instead, we tie their identity to a particular political party or ideology.

But disagreement itself isn’t wrong. And if I’m already in relationship with people who trust me, who believe I’m a person of integrity, and I have the same view of them, we have the freedom to enter into conversations about the things that matter.

In other words, people who trust me aren’t afraid to disagree with me. And I believe the people who are making the most difference are those who approach life with that kind of inner integrity.

They have also done something else. They have cultivated a knowledge based on an ongoing inner conversation with the

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Published by the Office of Communication of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017© 2020 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

scriptures themselves. In this way, they look at life through the lens of scripture rather than the other way around. And they take that knowledge and that responsibility seriously because they do more than believe blindly or follow foolishly. They discuss, debate and pray, and they take the time to vote.

As we look toward and beyond the upcoming election, let us focus on relationships with one another, with the God of the Bible and with the scriptures. When we have all three in place, we will align with God’s kingdom yet more and more.

As we walk with God and with one another, God will prepare us for the day we gather around the throne as one. Forever and ever, Amen.

This reflection was written by the Rt. Rev. Greg Brewer, Bishop of Central Florida. Find more resources for election engagement at iam.ec/ogrcivicengagement.

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