What does it mean to receive peace from someone you failed?

On the Second Sunday of Easter, Fr. Craig Swan preaches on one of the most striking moments in John's Gospel: the risen Christ walking through locked doors to stand before the disciples who had abandoned him — and offering not judgment, but peace.

Fr. Craig explores the shame the disciples carried on that first Easter evening, why forgiveness is less about the other person than about freeing yourself, and how the church's long history of division stands in direct tension with the risen Christ's first words: Peace be with you.

The sermon closes with a challenge for this congregation and this moment: in a time marked by conflict and the need to be right, can we choose relationship over certainty?

Scripture Readings

• Acts 2:14a, 22–32 — Peter's witness to the resurrection
• Psalm 16 — "You will not abandon me to the grave"
• 1 Peter 1:3–9 — A living hope through resurrection
• John 20:19–31 — The risen Christ appears; Thomas's doubt and faith

St. Peter's by-the-Sea is an Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Sunday worship rooted in Anglican liturgy, scripture, and thoughtful preaching.

Plan a visit: https://www.stpetersbythesea.com

Fr. Craig: Well, good morning and welcome on this.

Fr. Craig: Absolutely beautiful.

Fr. Craig: Uh, first Sunday after Easter.

Fr. Craig: Um, not too many announcements.

Fr. Craig: Uh, really just two.

Fr. Craig: The first one being that, uh,

Fr. Craig: the Bible study on Wednesday at

Fr. Craig: noon by Zoom is, has completed

Fr. Craig: its travels through first and

Fr. Craig: second Samuel and is going to

Fr. Craig: begin looking at the letter to

Fr. Craig: the Hebrews.

Fr. Craig: So if you're interested in a short time to try out Bible

Fr. Craig: study, now is the time.

Fr. Craig: Let me know.

Fr. Craig: I'll put you on the email list.

Fr. Craig: Second announcement.

Fr. Craig: Uh, if you read the inet this week, April showers bring May

Fr. Craig: flowers and at the community market, personal hygiene pieces.

Fr. Craig: So the community market this month is asking people to focus

Fr. Craig: on personal hygiene items soap, shampoo, toothpaste, floss,

Fr. Craig: toothbrushes, things like that.

Fr. Craig: Things that are getting more and more expensive and with limited

Fr. Craig: incomes hard to get.

Fr. Craig: Those are the one.

Fr. Craig: Those are the items that we

Fr. Craig: rarely get from any of our

Fr. Craig: sources.

Fr. Craig: So if you have time to pick up

Fr. Craig: an extra shampoo or extra

Fr. Craig: package of soap, greatly

Fr. Craig: appreciated.

Fr. Craig: So those are my announcements at this time.

Fr. Craig: Let's take a moment of quiet as we prepare for worship.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia!

Fr. Craig: Christ is risen indeed!

Fr. Craig: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known.

Fr. Craig: And from you no secrets are hid.

Fr. Craig: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of

Fr. Craig: your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily

Fr. Craig: magnify your holy name through Christ our Lord.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: And reading between the staves, let us say together.

Fr. Craig: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.

Fr. Craig: Lord God, heavenly King,

Fr. Craig: Almighty God and Father, we

Fr. Craig: worship you.

Fr. Craig: We give you thanks.

Fr. Craig: We praise you for your glory.

Fr. Craig: Lord Jesus Christ, only son of

Fr. Craig: the father, Lord God, Lamb of

Fr. Craig: God, you take away the sin of

Fr. Craig: the world.

Fr. Craig: Have mercy on us.

Fr. Craig: You are seated at the right hand of the father.

Fr. Craig: Receive our prayer.

Fr. Craig: For you alone are the Holy One.

Fr. Craig: You alone are the Lord.

Fr. Craig: You alone are the Most High,

Fr. Craig: Jesus Christ with the Holy

Fr. Craig: Spirit in the glory of God the

Fr. Craig: Father.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: The Lord be with you.

Fr. Craig: Let us pray.

Fr. Craig: Almighty and everlasting God,

Fr. Craig: who in the Paschal mystery

Fr. Craig: established the new covenant of

Fr. Craig: reconciliation.

Fr. Craig: Grant that all who have been

Fr. Craig: reborn into the fellowship of

Fr. Craig: Christ's body may show forth in

Fr. Craig: their lives what they profess by

Fr. Craig: their faith.

Fr. Craig: Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

Fr. Craig: and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Please be seated for the readings.

Speaker 2: A reading from the acts of the apostles.

Speaker 2: Peter, standing with the eleven,

Speaker 2: raised his voice and addressed

Speaker 2: the crowd.

Speaker 2: You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say.

Speaker 2: Jesus of Nazareth, a man

Speaker 2: attested to you by God with

Speaker 2: deeds of power, wonders, and

Speaker 2: signs that God did through him

Speaker 2: among you.

Speaker 2: As you yourselves know, this man handed over to you according to

Speaker 2: the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

Speaker 2: You crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.

Speaker 2: But God raised him up, having freed him from death because it

Speaker 2: was impossible for him to be held in its power.

Speaker 2: For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me,

Speaker 2: for he is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.

Speaker 2: Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced.

Speaker 2: Moreover, my flesh will live in hope.

Speaker 2: For you will not abandon my soul

Speaker 2: to Hades, or let your Holy One

Speaker 2: experience corruption.

Speaker 2: You have made known to me the ways of life.

Speaker 2: You will make me full of gladness with your presence.

Speaker 2: Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor

Speaker 2: David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is within,

Speaker 2: is with us to this day.

Speaker 2: Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath

Speaker 2: to him that he would put one of his descendants on the throne.

Speaker 2: For seeing this, David spoke of

Speaker 2: the resurrection of the Messiah,

Speaker 2: saying, he was not abandoned to

Speaker 2: Hades, nor did his flesh

Speaker 2: experience corruption.

Speaker 2: This Jesus got this Jesus God raised up.

Speaker 2: And of that all of us are witnesses.

Speaker 2: The word of the Lord.

Speaker 3: Thanks be to God.

Speaker 2: Please join me in reading Psalm sixteen.

Speaker 2: Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you.

Speaker 2: I have said to.

Speaker 3: The Lord, you are my Lord, my good above all others.

Speaker 3: All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, upon those

Speaker 3: who are noble among the people.

Speaker 3: But those who run after other

Speaker 3: gods shall have their troubles

Speaker 3: multiplied.

Speaker 3: They.

Speaker 3: Libations of blood I will not

Speaker 3: offer nor take the names of

Speaker 3: their God.

Speaker 2: Upon my lips.

Speaker 3: O Lord, you are my portion and my cup.

Speaker 3: It is you who uphold my lot.

Speaker 3: My boundaries enclose a pleasant land.

Speaker 3: Indeed I have a goodly heritage.

Speaker 3: I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel.

Speaker 3: My heart teaches me night after night.

Speaker 3: I have set the Lord always before me.

Speaker 3: Because he is at my right hand, and I shall not fall.

Speaker 3: My heart therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices.

Speaker 3: My body also.

Speaker 2: Shall rest and hope.

Speaker 2: For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your Holy One

Speaker 2: see the pit.

Speaker 2: You will show me the path of life.

Speaker 2: In your presence there is fullness of joy.

Speaker 3: And in your right hand.

Speaker 2: Are pleasures forevermore.

Speaker 2: A reading from the first letter of Peter.

Speaker 2: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2: By his mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope

Speaker 2: through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and

Speaker 2: into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and

Speaker 2: unfading, kept in heaven for you who are being protected by the

Speaker 2: power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed

Speaker 2: in the last time.

Speaker 2: In this you rejoice, even if now

Speaker 2: for a little while you have had

Speaker 2: to suffer various trials so that

Speaker 2: the genuineness of your faith

Speaker 2: being more precious than gold,

Speaker 2: that, though perishable is

Speaker 2: tested by fire, may be found to

Speaker 2: result in praise and glory and

Speaker 2: honor when Jesus Christ is

Speaker 2: revealed.

Speaker 2: Although you have not seen him, you love him.

Speaker 2: And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and

Speaker 2: rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.

Speaker 2: For you are not, for you are

Speaker 2: receiving the outcome of your

Speaker 2: faith, the salvation of your

Speaker 2: souls.

Speaker 2: The word of the Lord.

Speaker 3: Thanks be to God.

Fr. Craig: The Holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Fr. Craig: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Fr. Craig: When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and

Fr. Craig: the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked

Fr. Craig: for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said,

Fr. Craig: peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

Fr. Craig: Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord Jesus again

Fr. Craig: said to them, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: As the father has sent me, so I send you.

Fr. Craig: When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to

Fr. Craig: them, Receive the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.

Fr. Craig: If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

Fr. Craig: But Thomas, who was called the twin, one of the twelve, was not

Fr. Craig: with them when Jesus came.

Fr. Craig: So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord.

Fr. Craig: But he said to them, unless I see the mark of the nails in his

Fr. Craig: hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in

Fr. Craig: his side, I will not believe.

Fr. Craig: A week later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas

Fr. Craig: was with them.

Fr. Craig: Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them

Fr. Craig: and said, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands.

Fr. Craig: Reach out your hand and put it in my side.

Fr. Craig: Do not doubt but believe.

Fr. Craig: Thomas answered him, my Lord and my God.

Fr. Craig: Jesus said to him, have you

Fr. Craig: believed because you have seen

Fr. Craig: me?

Fr. Craig: Blessed are those who have not

Fr. Craig: seen and yet have come to

Fr. Craig: believe.

Fr. Craig: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his

Fr. Craig: disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are

Fr. Craig: written so that you may come out to believe that Jesus is the

Fr. Craig: Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may

Fr. Craig: have life in his name.

Fr. Craig: The gospel of the Lord.

Fr. Craig: Praise to you, Lord Christ, in

Fr. Craig: the name of God, father, Son and

Fr. Craig: Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Please be seated.

Fr. Craig: I'm going to tell you, lifting that gold covered gospel book

Fr. Craig: weighs a ton.

Fr. Craig: I think my biceps and triceps

Fr. Craig: are going to get a workout

Fr. Craig: today.

Fr. Craig: Anyway, last week during my homily, I said kind of the

Fr. Craig: phrase from the Gospel of Matthew on Easter Sunday is

Fr. Craig: don't be afraid.

Fr. Craig: Today's phrase from the Gospel of John is peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: We heard it at least three

Fr. Craig: times, all from Jesus to the

Fr. Craig: disciples.

Fr. Craig: Now, context for today's reading.

Fr. Craig: If you didn't quite pick it up from how it started, is.

Fr. Craig: We're kind of at the end of the day on Easter Sunday.

Fr. Craig: This isn't three weeks later.

Fr. Craig: Six weeks later or anything like that.

Fr. Craig: This is the Sunday after the crucifixion.

Fr. Craig: The disciples were assuming, are

Fr. Craig: aware from the women that Jesus

Fr. Craig: has risen, but they are still

Fr. Craig: holed up in that upper room

Fr. Craig: where the Last Supper took

Fr. Craig: place, because they are afraid

Fr. Craig: and they have every reason to be

Fr. Craig: afraid, mostly because their

Fr. Craig: concern is the authorities are

Fr. Craig: going to come and get them, and

Fr. Craig: they're going to have the same

Fr. Craig: fate that Jesus had on the

Fr. Craig: previous Fridays.

Fr. Craig: So their fear is real.

Fr. Craig: Their reason for being together

Fr. Craig: is a combination of kind of

Fr. Craig: misery.

Fr. Craig: Loves company.

Fr. Craig: They're afraid.

Fr. Craig: They're grieving.

Fr. Craig: And there's one other piece in there that we don't talk about,

Fr. Craig: which is, I think on some level, those eleven men are ashamed.

Fr. Craig: Why should they be ashamed?

Fr. Craig: Because those who were the most ardent of followers.

Fr. Craig: During Jesus's worst moments were nowhere to be found.

Fr. Craig: The women were found in the

Fr. Craig: Gospels at the foot of the

Fr. Craig: cross.

Fr. Craig: I would like to hypothesize that that's why they got to be the

Fr. Craig: first ones to find out about the resurrection, because they hung

Fr. Craig: in there to the bitter end.

Fr. Craig: But the apostles were nowhere to be found in the crucifixion.

Fr. Craig: The only one that we truly know of after the Garden of Eden or

Fr. Craig: Garden of Gethsemane.

Fr. Craig: Excuse me.

Fr. Craig: Wrong garden.

Fr. Craig: It's not a good morning, let me tell you.

Fr. Craig: At the Garden of Gethsemane, we

Fr. Craig: really hear about Peter and his

Fr. Craig: denial of Jesus during the

Fr. Craig: trial.

Fr. Craig: Ultimate betrayal.

Fr. Craig: So when Jesus comes through the locked door, which, quite

Fr. Craig: frankly, would freak me out because we talk about the

Fr. Craig: resurrected body, he could eat, but he could go through doors.

Fr. Craig: Kind of.

Fr. Craig: No one's quite figured that one out yet.

Fr. Craig: I can imagine what the fear was

Fr. Craig: replacing all the fear of the

Fr. Craig: authorities.

Fr. Craig: Jesus is here.

Fr. Craig: Kind of feels like it's a ghost.

Fr. Craig: We're not sure.

Fr. Craig: And so Jesus begins to allay

Fr. Craig: their fears with peace be with

Fr. Craig: you.

Fr. Craig: But that line goes even deeper as he extends his hand and his

Fr. Craig: side to those who fail to believe what he had told them.

Fr. Craig: Because in doing so, not only is he offering them peace, but he

Fr. Craig: is offering them forgiveness.

Fr. Craig: One of the podcasts I listened

Fr. Craig: to in preparation is called Same

Fr. Craig: Old Song, and the two Episcopal

Fr. Craig: priests that presented every

Fr. Craig: week.

Fr. Craig: We're talking about this very moment.

Fr. Craig: They said, if I was Jacob Christ, I would turn around.

Fr. Craig: I'm not sure.

Fr. Craig: I would say peace be with you is I would be angry, frustrated

Fr. Craig: that they had let him down.

Fr. Craig: But Jesus offers peace in that

Fr. Craig: moment and he offers

Fr. Craig: forgiveness.

Fr. Craig: He understood and accepted their frail humanity that could not

Fr. Craig: sustain itself in the horrors of the moments of Good Friday.

Fr. Craig: And just like from his words on the cross as he looked out, and

Fr. Craig: the total betrayal of humanity towards God with the words,

Fr. Craig: forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Fr. Craig: Jesus enters that upper room not just to allay their grief.

Fr. Craig: But to offer them the peace that forgiveness brings with it.

Fr. Craig: A true peace, not one that is constrained by some sort of

Fr. Craig: contract, but a true deep peace that comes with the willingness

Fr. Craig: and the ability to fully forgive and be forgiven.

Fr. Craig: I think that's a lesson for all of us, I know.

Fr. Craig: As I've said to you before, one of the hardest things for me is

Fr. Craig: to let go of things, to offer peace, to offer full forgiveness

Fr. Craig: because it just eats at you and ruminates in you.

Fr. Craig: And part of offering forgiveness

Fr. Craig: is the ability to let go of

Fr. Craig: something.

Fr. Craig: Forgiveness really isn't designed, as we say, to.

Fr. Craig: It's not about the other person,

Fr. Craig: it's about the other person not

Fr. Craig: being able to have space in your

Fr. Craig: head.

Fr. Craig: And true forgiveness comes when

Fr. Craig: we're able to let go of whatever

Fr. Craig: that offense may be or feel as

Fr. Craig: if, and allow us perhaps to

Fr. Craig: enter into some form of

Fr. Craig: conversation.

Fr. Craig: The only way that we get to peace between warring sides is

Fr. Craig: by one side being vulnerable in the way that Jesus was

Fr. Craig: vulnerable to the disciples on that evening, instead of being

Fr. Craig: angry and cross, which he had every right to be.

Fr. Craig: He starts by saying, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: And offering that deep, rich bit.

Fr. Craig: As the rabbi would tell you, the peace that he's offering is

Fr. Craig: shalom, which is again, a very deep, realistic peace.

Fr. Craig: It is only when one side or the

Fr. Craig: other is willing to go there and

Fr. Craig: be vulnerable, that we are able

Fr. Craig: to begin the process of

Fr. Craig: reconciliation.

Fr. Craig: And as I look out at this world today, I look at this country, I

Fr. Craig: look at the wars that we are seeing going on around us, It

Fr. Craig: seems that we're more about being right than we are about

Fr. Craig: actually being in relationship.

Fr. Craig: And I see that in this country, in this community in which we

Fr. Craig: live, that it seems as if we've gotten more to a point about

Fr. Craig: being right on something than being in relationship, whether

Fr. Craig: it be in terms of our politics, whether it be in terms of what

Fr. Craig: we believe to be true or even how we think one another should

Fr. Craig: live their lives.

Fr. Craig: Oftentimes, what we find when

Fr. Craig: we're willing to let go of our

Fr. Craig: pride and be vulnerable to one

Fr. Craig: who we feel is wrong or has

Fr. Craig: wronged us, we allow ourselves

Fr. Craig: to enter into communication and

Fr. Craig: discover that we really want the

Fr. Craig: same things.

Fr. Craig: We're coming at it from a very different angle.

Fr. Craig: What I find so interesting about

Fr. Craig: the church throughout its

Fr. Craig: history is the one place that

Fr. Craig: teaches.

Fr. Craig: Peace has also been the institution that is about schism

Fr. Craig: and warfare among itself.

Fr. Craig: Within three hundred years of our existence as an institution,

Fr. Craig: this church, the Greater Church, was at war with itself as it was

Fr. Craig: hammering out the Nicene Creed.

Fr. Craig: And then we had factions between

Fr. Craig: Arius and say, I can't think of

Fr. Craig: the other person at this point,

Fr. Craig: two sides, and they're arguing

Fr. Craig: over the eternity of Jesus

Fr. Craig: coeternal with the father, or

Fr. Craig: was there a time when he was

Fr. Craig: not?

Fr. Craig: And the reason I bring that up

Fr. Craig: is because the argument was

Fr. Craig: about the word homoousios or

Fr. Craig: homoousios.

Fr. Craig: One meant fully eternal co-eternal with the father, the

Fr. Craig: other meant there was a time when Christ was not The letter

Fr. Craig: that separated them was an iota.

Fr. Craig: The first schism in the church was over an iota, one iota.

Fr. Craig: And as we look at the continued history of our church, we of the

Fr. Craig: church, we find this constant seasoning instead of it being

Fr. Craig: about peace and reconciliation.

Fr. Craig: It's been about one side versus the other.

Fr. Craig: And throughout my sixty three

Fr. Craig: years of life, I have seen the

Fr. Craig: institutional church divide and

Fr. Craig: divide and divide again over any

Fr. Craig: issue.

Fr. Craig: You pick it.

Fr. Craig: We have had division.

Fr. Craig: When I was ordained twenty

Fr. Craig: twenty five, almost twenty six

Fr. Craig: years ago.

Fr. Craig: Gene Robinson was consecrated bishop.

Fr. Craig: Over how people loved.

Fr. Craig: We divided.

Fr. Craig: And while I know we are on that

Fr. Craig: side of the aisle that stayed

Fr. Craig: with the Episcopal Church and

Fr. Craig: opened our hearts up to the LGBT

Fr. Craig: community fully.

Fr. Craig: There was still a war over who was allowed in and who was

Fr. Craig: allowed out, and churches separated and broke off.

Fr. Craig: It's amazing how even in the

Fr. Craig: church where the first words of

Fr. Craig: the risen Christ to his

Fr. Craig: disciples were, peace be with

Fr. Craig: you.

Fr. Craig: We are so willing to drop those

Fr. Craig: words and prefer to be right

Fr. Craig: over being a full and inclusive

Fr. Craig: community.

Fr. Craig: And so this day, I bring to each and every one of us as this

Fr. Craig: congregation, who, as those who've been with me for these

Fr. Craig: last ten years know, has been rife at times with conflict and

Fr. Craig: disruption is to offer us this thought and continued thought

Fr. Craig: that, as we say, that the center of our existence is the altar

Fr. Craig: and the cross.

Fr. Craig: The center of our ministry and relationship with each other is

Fr. Craig: to look for and fight for peace.

Fr. Craig: Community relationship.

Fr. Craig: In the same way, Christ walks

Fr. Craig: into the room with the disciples

Fr. Craig: and allays their fears when they

Fr. Craig: see him, not just because they

Fr. Craig: thought he was a ghost, but

Fr. Craig: because of how they had let him

Fr. Craig: down.

Fr. Craig: He doesn't bring it up, but merely says, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: May we each week, even with

Fr. Craig: those whom we are angry with,

Fr. Craig: those whom we do not agree with,

Fr. Craig: seek peace and community with

Fr. Craig: each other and make that our

Fr. Craig: goal throughout this Easter

Fr. Craig: season.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: I invite you to please stand and

Fr. Craig: join me in affirming our faith

Fr. Craig: with the words of the Nicene

Fr. Craig: Creed.

Fr. Craig: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of

Fr. Craig: heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

Fr. Craig: We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Fr. Craig: eternally begotten of the father, God from God, light from

Fr. Craig: light, true God from true God.

Fr. Craig: Begotten, not made of one being with the father.

Fr. Craig: Through him all things were made for us and for our salvation.

Fr. Craig: He came down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man.

Fr. Craig: For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.

Fr. Craig: He suffered death and was buried.

Fr. Craig: On the third day he rose again

Fr. Craig: in accordance with the

Fr. Craig: scriptures.

Fr. Craig: He ascended into heaven and is

Fr. Craig: seated at the right hand of the

Fr. Craig: father.

Fr. Craig: He will come again in glory to

Fr. Craig: judge the living and the dead,

Fr. Craig: and his kingdom will have no

Fr. Craig: end.

Fr. Craig: We believe in the Holy Spirit,

Fr. Craig: the Lord, the giver of life, who

Fr. Craig: proceeds from the father and the

Fr. Craig: son.

Fr. Craig: With the father and the son.

Fr. Craig: He is worshiped and glorified.

Fr. Craig: He has spoken through the prophets.

Fr. Craig: We believe in one holy, Catholic and apostolic church.

Fr. Craig: We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

Fr. Craig: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the

Fr. Craig: world to come.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Speaker 4: In peace we pray to you, Lord God, for all people in their

Speaker 4: daily life and work.

Fr. Craig: For our families, friends and

Fr. Craig: neighbors, and for those who are

Fr. Craig: alone.

Speaker 4: For this community, the nation and the world.

Fr. Craig: All who work for justice, freedom and peace.

Speaker 4: For the just and proper use of your creation.

Fr. Craig: For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

Speaker 4: For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble.

Fr. Craig: For those who minister to the

Fr. Craig: sick, the friendless and the

Fr. Craig: needy.

Speaker 4: For the peace and unity of the Church of God.

Fr. Craig: For all who proclaim the gospel and all who seek the truth.

Speaker 4: For Sean, our presiding Bishop, Nicholas our bishop, and for all

Speaker 4: bishops and other ministers.

Fr. Craig: All who serve God in His Church.

Speaker 4: For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.

Speaker 4: And our parish cycle of prayer.

Speaker 4: We pray for Brian Bannan, Betsy

Speaker 4: and Bill Barber and Richard and

Speaker 4: Robin Beaupre.

Speaker 4: In our diocesan cycle of prayer,

Speaker 4: we pray for the Episcopal

Speaker 4: Church.

Speaker 4: Women.

Speaker 4: Hear us, Lord.

Fr. Craig: For your mercy is great.

Speaker 4: We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Speaker 4: We will exalt you, our oh God, our King.

Fr. Craig: And praise your name forever and ever.

Speaker 4: We pray for all who have died, especially Mary M Worrell and

Speaker 4: Mary Ertz, for whom the flowers on the altar are given, and for

Speaker 4: Jean garish that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.

Speaker 4: Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them.

Fr. Craig: Who put their trust in you.

Fr. Craig: As I offer the closing collect, I ask you again to pray for

Fr. Craig: peace throughout this world.

Fr. Craig: O Lord our God, accept the

Fr. Craig: fervent prayers of your people

Fr. Craig: in the multitude of your

Fr. Craig: mercies.

Fr. Craig: Look with compassion upon us,

Fr. Craig: and all who turn to you for

Fr. Craig: help.

Fr. Craig: For you are gracious, oh lover of souls.

Fr. Craig: And to you we give glory, father, son, and Holy Spirit,

Fr. Craig: now and forever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Fr. Craig: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you

Fr. Craig: in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we

Fr. Craig: have left undone.

Fr. Craig: We have not loved you with our whole heart.

Fr. Craig: We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

Fr. Craig: We are truly sorry and we humbly

Fr. Craig: repent for the sake of your Son,

Fr. Craig: Jesus Christ.

Fr. Craig: Have mercy on us and forgive us that we may delight in your will

Fr. Craig: and walk in your ways to the glory of your name.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Almighty God, have mercy on you.

Fr. Craig: Forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Fr. Craig: strengthen you in all goodness and by the power of the Holy

Fr. Craig: Spirit keep you in eternal life.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Please be seated.

Fr. Craig: And I invite those who have weddings or wedding

Fr. Craig: anniversaries or birthdays during the month of April to

Fr. Craig: please come forward.

Fr. Craig: Birthday, birthday, birthday, birthday.

Fr. Craig: Okay, that makes it easy.

Speaker 5: Don't marry those.

Fr. Craig: In my old book, the page was already popped right open.

Fr. Craig: But yes, the Lord be with you.

Fr. Craig: Let us pray.

Fr. Craig: Watch over your children, oh Lord, as their days increase.

Fr. Craig: Bless and guide them wherever they may be.

Fr. Craig: Strengthen them when they stand.

Fr. Craig: Comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful.

Fr. Craig: Raise them up when they fall.

Fr. Craig: And in their hearts.

Fr. Craig: May your peace which passes all understanding abide all the days

Fr. Craig: of their lives.

Fr. Craig: Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: And the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Speaker 3: And with you.

Fr. Craig: Let us greet one another with a sign of Christ's love for us.

Fr. Craig: Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us an

Fr. Craig: offering and sacrifice to God.

Fr. Craig: All things come from you, oh

Fr. Craig: Lord, and of your own have we

Fr. Craig: given you.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: The Lord be with you.

Fr. Craig: Lift up your hearts.

Fr. Craig: We lift them to the Lord.

Fr. Craig: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Fr. Craig: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Fr. Craig: It is right and a good and joyful thing always and

Fr. Craig: everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of

Fr. Craig: heaven and earth.

Fr. Craig: But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious

Fr. Craig: resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fr. Craig: For he is the true Paschal Lamb

Fr. Craig: who was sacrificed for us and

Fr. Craig: has taken away the sin of the

Fr. Craig: world.

Fr. Craig: By his death he has destroyed

Fr. Craig: death, and by his rising to life

Fr. Craig: again he has won for us

Fr. Craig: everlasting life.

Fr. Craig: Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with angels

Fr. Craig: and archangels, and with all the company of heaven who forever

Fr. Craig: sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your name.

Fr. Craig: Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might.

Fr. Craig: Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Fr. Craig: Hosanna in the highest.

Fr. Craig: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Fr. Craig: Hosanna in the highest.

Fr. Craig: Holy and gracious father, in

Fr. Craig: your infinite love you made us

Fr. Craig: for yourself.

Fr. Craig: And when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and

Fr. Craig: death, you in your mercy sent Jesus Christ, your only and

Fr. Craig: eternal son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one

Fr. Craig: of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

Fr. Craig: He stretched out his arms upon

Fr. Craig: the cross and offered himself in

Fr. Craig: obedience to your will, a

Fr. Craig: perfect sacrifice for the whole

Fr. Craig: world.

Fr. Craig: On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord

Fr. Craig: Jesus Christ took bread.

Fr. Craig: And when he had given thanks to

Fr. Craig: you, he broke it and gave it to

Fr. Craig: his disciples and said, take,

Fr. Craig: eat.

Fr. Craig: This is my body which is given for you.

Fr. Craig: Do this for the remembrance of me.

Fr. Craig: After supper he took the cup of wine, and when he had given

Fr. Craig: thanks, he gave it to them and said, drink this, all of you.

Fr. Craig: This is my blood of the new

Fr. Craig: Covenant, which is shed for you

Fr. Craig: and for many for the forgiveness

Fr. Craig: of sins.

Fr. Craig: Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.

Fr. Craig: Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Fr. Craig: Christ has died.

Fr. Craig: Christ is risen.

Fr. Craig: Christ will come again.

Fr. Craig: We celebrate the memorial of our redemption.

Fr. Craig: Oh father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,

Fr. Craig: recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we

Fr. Craig: offer you these gifts.

Fr. Craig: Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people,

Fr. Craig: the body and blood of your son, the holy food and drink of new

Fr. Craig: and unending life in him.

Fr. Craig: Sanctify us also, that we may faithfully receive this holy

Fr. Craig: sacrament and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace.

Fr. Craig: At the last day.

Fr. Craig: Bring us with all your saints

Fr. Craig: into the joy of your eternal

Fr. Craig: kingdom.

Fr. Craig: All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ, by him and with

Fr. Craig: him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: All honor and glory is yours,

Fr. Craig: Almighty father, now and

Fr. Craig: forever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to

Fr. Craig: say, Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Fr. Craig: Thy kingdom come, thy will be

Fr. Craig: done, on earth as it is in

Fr. Craig: heaven.

Fr. Craig: Give us this day our daily bread.

Fr. Craig: And forgive us our trespasses,

Fr. Craig: as we forgive those who trespass

Fr. Craig: against us.

Fr. Craig: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Fr. Craig: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

Fr. Craig: forever and ever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia.

Fr. Craig: Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Fr. Craig: Therefore let us keep the feast.

Fr. Craig: Hallelujah!

Fr. Craig: The gifts of God for the people of God.

Fr. Craig: Take them in remembrance that

Fr. Craig: Christ died for you and feed on

Fr. Craig: him in your hearts by faith with

Fr. Craig: thanksgiving.

Fr. Craig: Let us pray.

Fr. Craig: Almighty and ever living God, we thank you for feeding us with

Fr. Craig: the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your

Fr. Craig: son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Fr. Craig: And for assuring us in these

Fr. Craig: holy mysteries that we are

Fr. Craig: living members of the body of

Fr. Craig: your son and heirs of your

Fr. Craig: eternal kingdom.

Fr. Craig: And now, father, send us out to

Fr. Craig: do the work you have given us to

Fr. Craig: do, to love and serve you as

Fr. Craig: faithful witnesses of Christ our

Fr. Craig: Lord, to him, to you, and to the

Fr. Craig: Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: Be honor and glory now and forever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our

Fr. Craig: Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through

Fr. Craig: the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in

Fr. Craig: every good work to do his will, working in you that which is

Fr. Craig: well pleasing in his sight.

Fr. Craig: And the blessing of God Almighty, the father, the son,

Fr. Craig: and the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Let us go forth into the world,

Fr. Craig: rejoicing in the power of the

Fr. Craig: spirit.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia, Alleluia.

Fr. Craig: Thanks be to God.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia, Alleluia.