SPEAKER_00: The Gospel of John speaks of Christ as the true light coming into the world.
SPEAKER_00: In commemoration of that coming, we light candles for the four weeks leading to Christmas and reflect on the coming of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: It is significant that the church has always used that language, the coming of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Because it speaks to a deep truth.
SPEAKER_00: Christ is coming.
SPEAKER_00: Christ is always coming.
SPEAKER_00: Always entering a troubled world, a wounded heart.
SPEAKER_00: And so we light the first candle, the candle of hope, and dare to express our longing for peace, for healing, and the well-being of all creation.
SPEAKER_06: Show us the creative power.
SPEAKER_06: Our heart be transformed by you.
SPEAKER_04: Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_07: Blessed before.
SPEAKER_04: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open.
SPEAKER_06: All desires.
SPEAKER_06: That we may perfectly love thee and virtually magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord.
SPEAKER_07: Amen.
SPEAKER_04: The Lord be with you.
SPEAKER_04: And also with you.
SPEAKER_04: Let us pray.
SPEAKER_04: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
SPEAKER_04: Now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility, that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal.
SPEAKER_04: Through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
SPEAKER_07: Amen.
SPEAKER_03: It is at this time we invite the children to go to the back with Miss Alexandria and join in for children's chapter.
SPEAKER_01: In those days and at that time, I will cause a righteous branch to spring up before David.
SPEAKER_01: And he will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
SPEAKER_01: In those days, Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety.
SPEAKER_01: And this is the name by which it will be called.
SPEAKER_01: The Lord is our righteousness.
SPEAKER_01: Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people.
SPEAKER_01: Let none who look to you be put to shame.
SPEAKER_01: Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your ways.
SPEAKER_01: Lead me in your truth and teach me.
SPEAKER_07: For you are the God of my salvation.
SPEAKER_07: And you are my trusted all day long.
SPEAKER_01: Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love.
SPEAKER_07: For they are compliments.
SPEAKER_01: Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions.
SPEAKER_07: Remember me according to God for the sake of your Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Gracious and upright are you, O Lord.
SPEAKER_07: There are we guide the humble in doing right.
SPEAKER_01: All your paths, O Lord, are love and faithfulness.
SPEAKER_01: The second reading is from First Thessalonians.
SPEAKER_01: How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?
SPEAKER_01: Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
SPEAKER_01: And may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
SPEAKER_01: And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.
SPEAKER_01: And may He so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his thanks.
SPEAKER_01: Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people.
SPEAKER_04: Jesus said, There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations, confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
SPEAKER_04: People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
SPEAKER_04: Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
SPEAKER_04: Now, when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your head, because your redemption is drawing near.
SPEAKER_04: Then he told them a parable.
SPEAKER_04: Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
SPEAKER_04: As soon as they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.
SPEAKER_04: So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
SPEAKER_04: Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.
SPEAKER_04: Heaven and earth would pass away, but my words will not pass away.
SPEAKER_04: Be on guard so that your heart will not weigh down with dissipation, the drunkenness, and the worry for this life.
SPEAKER_04: And that day catch you unexpectedly on a track.
SPEAKER_04: For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.
SPEAKER_04: Be alert at all times.
SPEAKER_04: Pray that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the sun in the air.
SPEAKER_04: The gospel of the Lord.
SPEAKER_03: Before we get started, I want to make sure that you all can hear me.
SPEAKER_03: I'm new with the mic.
SPEAKER_03: Also wanted to let you all know that take my mask off real fast so you can hear me better.
SPEAKER_03: I apologize.
SPEAKER_03: I am uh Alex Hillis.
SPEAKER_03: Um Eric or Mike at the sermon.
SPEAKER_03: Uh today, when the rector is away, the family minister gets to play.
SPEAKER_03: Uh so I am here to to talk with you guys at the sermon.
SPEAKER_03: Uh I'll start by saying that I am not nearly as smart as Mike or Eric.
SPEAKER_03: Um I am going to have some notes in front of me, um, because if I don't, I will get lost.
SPEAKER_03: Um but I am excited to be here and excited to be talking with you all this morning.
SPEAKER_03: Um, like I said, my name is Alex Hillis.
SPEAKER_03: I am the um put this down real quick here.
SPEAKER_03: Out of my hands.
SPEAKER_03: I am the family minister, uh and I was hired here in August of this year.
SPEAKER_03: Uh, usually on Sunday mornings, especially at this service, you can find me in the back with a fiery little redhead named Evie.
SPEAKER_03: Um, she is my daughter, and you usually can't miss her because she's quite loud.
SPEAKER_03: She loves to talk.
SPEAKER_03: Um, some of you I have met and had the pleasure of meeting, and some of you I've yet to meet, and it sounds like that would be really hard to do, but it's true.
SPEAKER_03: It's uh probably been here three months, and I still have not met everyone.
SPEAKER_03: Um but it is great to finally introduce myself to you all and to be a part of this community.
SPEAKER_03: Um, being here is a with you all is a beautiful new beginning for my life and for my family.
SPEAKER_03: It's this beautiful new beginning in my story.
SPEAKER_03: Um, which interestingly enough is really what I want to talk to you guys about today is new beginnings and how new beginnings usually come about, which is the end.
SPEAKER_03: Um, but we'll get there.
SPEAKER_03: First things first, I have to wish you all a happy new year! Happy New Year, everyone! Uh yeah, there we go.
SPEAKER_03: Now, my non-cradle episcopalians are probably in the room going, what are you talking about?
SPEAKER_03: It is December, it is not even December, we're not in the new year, but um, so I'll I'll explain.
SPEAKER_03: Um, so this is the Sunday.
SPEAKER_03: This Sunday begins the Advent 1 in our liturgical church year.
SPEAKER_03: Which um if we were asking our good friend Stacy here and Eric what that meant, they would give you a beautiful formal um answer.
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna give you the simple confirmation answer I give to my eighth graders.
SPEAKER_03: Uh Lent is a lot like um, imagine a circle.
SPEAKER_03: There's a circle, and there's in the circle there's different colors of the season.
SPEAKER_03: It's a calendar of sorts, and the colors change.
SPEAKER_03: If you see we have blue now for Advent, you'll see them change from green for the normal times, uh, purple for Lent, uh, red for uh the Pentecost.
SPEAKER_03: There's all sorts of different colors that follow our church seasons.
SPEAKER_03: And our church seasons, you might think, would begin on the new year of the of the new calendar year, but it's not.
SPEAKER_03: It actually begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is today.
SPEAKER_03: So this begins our so here we are at the um the beginning of our kickoff of our new celebration for the new year.
SPEAKER_03: Um so uh but as it so happens, this is also my mother's birthday.
SPEAKER_03: And she is here with us today, and so I wanted to score some brownie points and say happy birthday to my mom in my first ever sermon.
SPEAKER_03: So there we go.
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, happy birthday to mom.
SPEAKER_03: Scoring some brownie points, always gotta do it, you've got to continue to do it, even when you're old.
SPEAKER_03: Um, so uh, but the new beginnings abound today.
SPEAKER_03: This is very exciting.
SPEAKER_03: It's a very exciting day filled with new beginnings that seems to be everywhere.
SPEAKER_03: Uh however, that is until you think about how new beginnings come about, which is the end.
SPEAKER_03: And the end can be sad and disheartening, and frankly, hard.
SPEAKER_03: The end of anything can lead us to a place of darkness and loss.
SPEAKER_03: The end can be scary and for lack of words feel endless.
SPEAKER_03: Today's gospel passage from a certain perspective can make the end feel like all these things.
SPEAKER_03: It can be a tad confusing and a little odd.
SPEAKER_03: Which is why when I read first read it, I thought, what?
SPEAKER_03: And then I thought, I went to Mike's office and I asked Father Mike, by the way, who's who's not here this morning.
SPEAKER_03: I went to his office and asked him, why?
SPEAKER_03: Why give me this passage on my first sermon?
SPEAKER_03: And we talked, we discussed it, and we stumbled upon a beautiful thought, which was the end is really not the end.
SPEAKER_03: Merely it's just a new beginning, especially with our relationship to Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_03: When wrapping my head around this thought, this beautiful thought, I wondered how best to express this to you all, this wonderful concept.
SPEAKER_03: And it struck me.
SPEAKER_03: A story.
SPEAKER_03: And I found when speaking in front of people, especially in a setting such as this one, I am most comfortable telling stories, especially stories about my own life, which usually come in the form of comedy, as most of the stuff that happens into my life is pretty comical.
SPEAKER_03: But, however, the story that I'm that came to my mind for today's passage and for today's message is a story that is not so comical.
SPEAKER_03: It is a story that finds me at the end, particularly at the end of a very long day.
SPEAKER_03: Especially for my wonderful, lovely wife.
SPEAKER_03: For this is the story of the day my daughter Evie was born.
SPEAKER_03: And when I say day, it felt more like days.
SPEAKER_03: Megan, my wonderful, beautiful wife, who is a family minister as well down at St.
SPEAKER_03: Christopher League City, just uh just down the street, really.
SPEAKER_03: Um, Megan, my beautiful wife, began the process of bringing our sweet Evie into the world on the afternoonslash evening of October 8th, 2019.
SPEAKER_03: And let me tell y'all, Megan was a mama warrior.
SPEAKER_03: She was doing such a great job.
SPEAKER_03: And as only husbands can do, I sat on the sidelines cheering on my wonderful wife as she made her way through this tough and beautiful process.
SPEAKER_03: And as the afternoonslash evening began to head towards late night, we still had no real sign of Evie.
SPEAKER_03: She was quite comfortable with where she was at in her situation.
SPEAKER_03: So it was at this point, though, that worry, fear, and anxiety crept into my thoughts.
SPEAKER_03: How could I help?
SPEAKER_03: What could I do?
SPEAKER_03: What was going to happen?
SPEAKER_03: What words can I say to Megan to make Megan feel better?
SPEAKER_03: At this point, October 8th, 2019 became the longest, hardest day of my life.
SPEAKER_03: And I know how that sounds, especially because I'm not the one physically having a baby.
SPEAKER_03: But it is at this point, though, that Megan is moved by the doctors into a different room to continue the process and try a different method.
SPEAKER_03: It is also at this point that as the father, I am not allowed to follow.
SPEAKER_03: Hospital procedures and such.
SPEAKER_03: I am left in the room alone.
SPEAKER_03: Left with my already built-up worries and my fears and my anxieties.
SPEAKER_03: And when I tell you that that was the longest hour of my life, it doesn't do it justice.
SPEAKER_03: The final half hour of October 8th, 2019 felt like days, even years.
SPEAKER_03: With no idea what was happening and how things were going, I ended up just pacing the room back and forth.
SPEAKER_03: I prayed, I cried, I thought of all the worst things that could happen.
SPEAKER_03: And just as I felt the world was going to crash around me, consume me whole, I heard a knock at the door.
SPEAKER_03: The doctor entered, and with her, she brought a tightly wrapped up bundle.
SPEAKER_03: A bundle of hope.
SPEAKER_03: A bundle of joy.
SPEAKER_03: A bundle of answered prayers.
SPEAKER_03: And as I took my beautiful red-headed daughter from the doctor's hand, I began to cry.
SPEAKER_03: And there we were, daughter and father, crying together for the very first time, and definitely not the last.
SPEAKER_03: And as I began to speak to her, she stopped crying and looked at me as if she knew who I was.
SPEAKER_03: And that look took my breath away.
SPEAKER_03: What a sight.
SPEAKER_03: What a beautiful, amazing sight it is to lay eyes on your newborn child.
SPEAKER_03: I know many of us in the room have experienced it.
SPEAKER_03: And I will never experience anything as beautiful as that moment ever again.
SPEAKER_03: And on October 18th, 2019, the hardest day of my entire life had come to an end.
SPEAKER_03: And with it, a new day dawned.
SPEAKER_03: For on October 9th, 2019, at 12.37 a.m., my Eve was born into the world.
SPEAKER_03: Gone were the worries, the fears, and anxieties that the end of the day had brought.
SPEAKER_03: A new day was shaping, filled with lots of hope, love, and joy.
SPEAKER_03: A day of new beginnings.
SPEAKER_03: This year, and frankly, the year before it has been hard.
SPEAKER_03: It has been filled with worry, fear, and anxiety.
SPEAKER_03: All the things a new father feels in the minutes leading up to the end of the longest, hardest day of his life.
SPEAKER_03: But here we find ourselves at the beginning of a new day.
SPEAKER_03: A new year.
SPEAKER_03: A new beginning.
SPEAKER_03: And no, not everyone here is leaving with the new baby the way I did when I left the hospital the next day.
SPEAKER_03: But you are leaving here with the other things I did leave with the hospital that day.
SPEAKER_03: Love, joy, and especially hope.
SPEAKER_03: A reminder of our wreaths.
SPEAKER_03: Today, we lit the first Advent candle at the beginning of the service, which signifies hope.
SPEAKER_03: We were reminded today on Advent 1 of the hope that Jesus brings to us by coming into the world.
SPEAKER_03: And in that, we are ultimately reminded that Him coming into the world brings it, brings with it an end.
SPEAKER_03: But that Jesus' end is just our beginning.
SPEAKER_03: That through his death, we are given new life.
SPEAKER_03: That through his death, we are given hope.
SPEAKER_03: But that's really a whole different liturgical calendar tangent I could go on, and we'll save that for Lent.
SPEAKER_03: Back to focusing on this new season we call Advent, which by the way, I find it quite appropriate that the beginning of the new church year begins at the end of the calendar year.
SPEAKER_03: How perfect is it that at the end of a long year, we are given literally a new beginning.
SPEAKER_03: I digress, but it's all coming together.
SPEAKER_03: So back to focusing on focusing on this new season we call Athent.
SPEAKER_03: We are reminded from our gospel in a really strange way that the end is coming.
SPEAKER_03: But that with it a new beautiful beginning will as well.
SPEAKER_03: We are ultimately reminded that endings can be hard and long, but that it can also bring new beginnings with lots of hope and new life.
SPEAKER_03: In my case, quite literally, a new life.
SPEAKER_03: So I encourage you, go from this place and spread that message of hope.
SPEAKER_03: Go and remember that with Christ and through Christ, the end brings with it a rather beautiful new beginning.
SPEAKER_07: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, the Maker of the Heaven and Earth, of all.
SPEAKER_07: We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally.
SPEAKER_07: And the same is crucified.
SPEAKER_07: On the third day, and according to the scriptures, and seated at the right hand of the Father.
SPEAKER_07: He will come again to the death of the living and the dead.
SPEAKER_07: And his kingdom will have heaven.
SPEAKER_07: We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the glorified, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
SPEAKER_07: With the Father and the Son, is your worship for Father.
SPEAKER_07: He is spoken through the prophets.
SPEAKER_07: We believe in one Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.
SPEAKER_07: We acknowledge one baptism for the previous sins.
SPEAKER_07: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
unknown: Amen.
SPEAKER_02: With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord.
SPEAKER_02: I ask your prayers for God's people throughout the world, for all people and ministers, for the priests in our community, Mike, Jim, Craig, Bill, and Lillian, for our bishops Andy, Hector, Jeff, and Kay, and the diocesan circle of prayer, the Holy Apostles Katie, Holy Spirit, Houston, and Hope, Houston, for Justin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and for our presiding bishop, Michael, pray for the Church.
SPEAKER_02: I ask your prayers for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world, for the members of the armed forces, and for all who struggle for peace and justice, that they may act with prudence and vision to plant the seeds of your kingdom everywhere.
SPEAKER_02: Pray for justice and peace.
SPEAKER_02: I ask your prayers for our parish and our vestry, that the source of wisdom may guide us, the source of strength may support us, and the source of love may unify us.
SPEAKER_02: I pray that our community may discern clearly and minister effectively.
SPEAKER_02: I pray that we may be bearers of God's grace to all who come through our doors.
SPEAKER_02: I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison.
SPEAKER_02: I pray for those in any need or trouble.
SPEAKER_02: I ask your prayers for all who seek God or a deeper knowledge of God.
SPEAKER_02: I pray that they may find and be found by God.
SPEAKER_02: I ask your prayers for the departed, especially Violet, and pray for all those who have died.
SPEAKER_02: Let us give thanks for our blessings and pray for our own needs and those of others, especially Chris, Sean, Ken, and Nancy.
SPEAKER_02: The congregation is invited to name their own celebrate orations or petitions silently or aloud.
SPEAKER_02: O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people.
SPEAKER_02: In the multitude of your mercies, look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help.
SPEAKER_02: For you are gracious, O Lover of Souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
SPEAKER_04: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
SPEAKER_04: Have mercy on me, O God.
SPEAKER_04: According to your sins of God's love.
SPEAKER_07: Wash me and I shall be quite often.
SPEAKER_07: Put me your joy of God.
SPEAKER_07: Hide your face of my sins and honor all my questions.
SPEAKER_07: Create me a clean heart of God.
SPEAKER_07: Take out your Holy Spirit from me.
SPEAKER_07: Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and the whole of the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_04: The Almighty and Merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_04: Amen.
SPEAKER_04: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
SPEAKER_04: I live around the corner from St.
SPEAKER_04: Thomas here, but uh I serve the diocese as the Director of Disaster Recovery.
SPEAKER_04: Um, we get a few of those, don't we, here?
SPEAKER_04: So I just want to offer this opportunity for us to give thanks loudly for Alex Hillis on his uh debut sermon here.
SPEAKER_04: He did awesome for the first Sunday of advent with really difficult comics, right?
SPEAKER_04: And then we shall give you the announcements.
SPEAKER_03: I'm back.
SPEAKER_03: Uh we are um the children are invited to come back in now that we're at the piece.
SPEAKER_03: Um we have a couple announcements uh this Wednesday.
SPEAKER_03: The the Wednesday Bible study is starting back up.
SPEAKER_03: We took a break this past week uh just for Thanksgiving, but we'll be back um Wednesday at 9 a.m.
SPEAKER_03: Uh Saturday is our um food distribution uh with our Gowston Scoop Bank uh partners.
SPEAKER_03: Uh that starts at 8.
SPEAKER_03: Um usually starts actually a little earlier.
SPEAKER_03: We start setting up, getting everything out there.
SPEAKER_03: So please join us for that if you can.
SPEAKER_03: We always need the hands.
SPEAKER_03: Um, today at 4 o'clock, we are having our uh Advent briefmaking here in Christ Hall.
SPEAKER_03: So if you would love to join us, all congregation are invited.
SPEAKER_03: Oh, we're gonna be doing this in partnership with the Boy Scouts who we support here at St.
SPEAKER_03: Thomas.
SPEAKER_03: So the Boy Scouts will be here.
SPEAKER_03: We'll have all families here.
SPEAKER_03: Um everyone is invited to come join us.
SPEAKER_03: We have enough greenery and enough um things to make our adventure, so everyone's invited, so that's today at four in Christ Hall, and that's all the announcements we have.
SPEAKER_04: And happy birthday to Alex's mom.
SPEAKER_04: And now walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.
SPEAKER_04: All things come of you, O Lord.
SPEAKER_07: And we will have to be given you.
SPEAKER_04: This is the table not of the church, but of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_04: It is made ready for those who love him and those who want to love him more.
SPEAKER_04: So come, ye who have much faith and you who have little.
SPEAKER_04: You who have been here often and you who have not been for a while or ever before.
SPEAKER_04: You who have tried to follow and you who have stumbled, come.
SPEAKER_04: Not because the church invites you.
SPEAKER_04: It is Christ who invites you and meet him here.
SPEAKER_04: The Lord be with you.
SPEAKER_04: And also with you.
SPEAKER_04: Lift up your hearts.
SPEAKER_04: We live in us to the Lord.
SPEAKER_04: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
SPEAKER_04: It is right.
SPEAKER_04: Thanks to Christ.
SPEAKER_04: It is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in Him of everlasting life.
SPEAKER_04: That when He shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to hold his appearing.
SPEAKER_04: Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your name.
SPEAKER_04: In your word spoken through the prophets, and above all, in the word made flesh, Jesus, your son.
SPEAKER_04: For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
SPEAKER_04: In him you have delivered us from evil and made us worthy to stand before you.
SPEAKER_04: In him you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
SPEAKER_04: On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread.
SPEAKER_04: And when he had given thanks to you, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, Take, eat.
SPEAKER_04: This is my body which is given for you.
SPEAKER_04: Do this for the remembrance of me.
SPEAKER_04: After supper, he took the cup of wine.
SPEAKER_04: And when you give a thanks, he gave it to them and said, Drink this, all of you.
SPEAKER_04: This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
SPEAKER_04: Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.
SPEAKER_04: Therefore, according to his command, O Father, we remember his death, we proclaim his resurrection, we raise it, and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all, presenting to you from your creation this bread and this wine.
SPEAKER_04: We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant.
SPEAKER_04: Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_04: In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection unto your Christ and bring us.
SPEAKER_04: To that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters, through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the church, and the author of our salvation.
SPEAKER_04: 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 forever.
unknown: Amen.
SPEAKER_07: 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, our earth as to heaven.
SPEAKER_07: Give us to save our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses.
SPEAKER_07: As we forgive those who trespasses from us.
SPEAKER_07: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
unknown: Amen.
SPEAKER_04: Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.
SPEAKER_07: Therefore, let us keep peace.
SPEAKER_04: These are the gifts of God for you, the people of God.
SPEAKER_04: Take them in remembrance that Christ lived and died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_04: Let us pray.
SPEAKER_04: Loving God, we give you the rest of your men.
SPEAKER_07: And spiritual truths and the sacrifice of God.
SPEAKER_07: Now send us for people forgiveness, that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue with the life of Christ our Savior.
SPEAKER_07: Amen.
SPEAKER_04: May God bless you with discomfort, at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
SPEAKER_04: May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
SPEAKER_04: And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be upon you this day and remain with you forevermore.
SPEAKER_04: Amen.