Easter Holy Eucharist Rite Two - Sunday, April 4, 2021 - 285 South 208 Street 402-289-4058 - St. Augustine of ...

285 South 208 Street 402-289-4058
www.facebook.com/st.augustine.omaha          www.sainta.net/

                    Easter
            Holy Eucharist Rite Two
             Sunday, April 4, 2021
                            1

PRELUDE                  Jesus Christ is risen today        Paul Manz
Morning Star
CCLI License # 1759835

ENTRANCE HYMN                 Jesus Christ is risen today       H 207

                                      2

The people standing, the Celebrant says
Celebrant      Alleluia. Christ is risen.
People         The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

                                   3

COLLECT FOR PURITY
The Celebrant may say
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from
you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and
worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

OPENING ANTHEM OR SONG OF PRAISE S 280 Glory to God
Glory 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 COLLECT OF THE DAY
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People    And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.

                                   4

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the
death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the
power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may
evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lessons
FIRST READING: Acts 10:34-43
The people sit.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Peter began to speak to [Cornelius and the other Gentiles]: “I truly
understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who
fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the
message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus
Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea
and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but
God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the
people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach
to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge
of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that
everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his
name.”

Reader       The Word of the Lord.
People       Thanks be to God.

                                     5

PSALM: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Remain seated.
  1
   Give thanks to GOD, who is good; *
     GOD’s mercy endures for ever.
  2
   Let Israel now proclaim, *
    “ GOD’s mercy endures for ever.”
  14
      The LORD is my strength and my song, *
       and he has become my salvation.
  15
      There is a sound of exultation and victory *
       in the tents of the righteous:
  16
      “The right hand of the MOST HIGH has triumphed! *
       the right hand of the MOST HIGH is exalted!
       the right hand of the MOST HIGH has triumphed!”
  17
      I shall not die, but live, *
       and declare the works of GOD.
  18
      GOD has punished me sorely, *
      but did not hand me over to death.
  19
      Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
      I will enter them;
      I will offer thanks to GOD.
  20
      “This is the gate of the HOLY ONE; *
       those who are righteous may enter.”
  21
      I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
       and have become my salvation.

                                       6

22
    The same stone which the builders rejected *
     has become the chief cornerstone.
  23
    This is GOD’s doing, *
     and it is marvelous in our eyes.
  24
    On this day the HOLY ONE has acted; *
    we will rejoice and be glad in it.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
The people sit.
A Reading from Paul's First letter to the Church in Corinth.
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I
proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand,
through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the
message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in
vain.
    For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had
received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,
and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to
the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and
sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one
untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles,
unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But
by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not
been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—
though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it
was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Reader       The Word of the Lord.
People       Thanks be to God.
                                     7

SEQUENCE HYMN                                      This Is The Day                                     Les Garret

All stand.

Verse
This is the day
This is the day
That the Lord hath made
That the Lord hath made
We will rejoice
We will rejoice
And be glad in it
And be glad in it
This is the day
That the Lord hath made
We will rejoice and be glad in it
This is the day
This is the day
That the Lord hath made
CCLI Song # 32754
Les Garrett
© 1967, 1980 Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
CCLI License # 1759835

GOSPEL: John 20:1-18
All stand.
Deacon                   The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according
                         to John.
People                   Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed
from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other

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disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken
the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid
him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the
tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter
and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen
wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came,
following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings
lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the
linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other
disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and
believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must
rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

   But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting
where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at
the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to
them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they
have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus
standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,
“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have
carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him
away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on
to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my
brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went and announced to
the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said
these things to her.

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

                                     9

THE SERMON                 Reverend Benedict Varnum

THE NICENE CREED
All stand.
We believe in one God,
  the Father, the Almighty,
  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.

                                  10

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.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
All remain standing.
Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in
your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of
justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common
good.
Silence

                                    11

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may
use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and
glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may
serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them
courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your
salvation.
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. For
Nancy P., John V., Connie, Jamie, Kobe, Hayden, Dick, Pat G., Amy,
Paige, Nancy, Bailey, Norma, Byron, Sharon, JoEy, Helen, Jim,
Danielle, Susan, Devon, Bill, Harold, Heather, Amelia, Melissa, David,
Karen, Ellie, Tom, Maggie, Sandra, Logan, Jean, Heidi, Mark, Abby,
Paul, Carolyn, Ginny, Linda, Joe, Shirley, Sharon, Norm, Joey, Bob,
Tom, Lorraine, Barb, Carole, Kellie, John and Recia. Are there any
others who need our prayers? We pray to you, O Lord.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will for them
may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in
your eternal kingdom.
Silence

                                    12

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

CONFESSION OF SIN
The Deacon or Celebrant 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.
The Priest stands and says
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 PEACE
All stand.
Celebrant      The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People         And also with you.

                                   13

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Birthdays: Pat Zimmerman, Morgan Harries, Art Horn, Brett Eby,
Kirsten Fasbender, Fyn Fasbender, and Emma Twerdochlib
Anniversaries: Shelley & Steven Cudley and Rita & James Murphy
O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your
servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom
and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of
their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Holy Communion
OFFERTORY SENTENCE
The Celebrant says
Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and
sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2

OFFERTORY HYMN                   Rise Again             Dallas Holm

Verse 1
Go ahead drive the nails in My hands
Laugh at Me where you stand
Go ahead and say it isn't Me
The day will come when you will see

Chorus 1
'Cause I'll rise again
There's no pow'r on earth can tie Me down
Yes I'll rise again
Death can't keep Me in the ground

Verse 2
Go ahead and mock My name
                                   14

My love for you is still the same
Go ahead and bury Me
But very soon I will be free

Verse 3
Go ahead and say I'm dead and gone
But you will see that you were wrong
Go ahead try to hide the Son
But all will see that I'm the One

Chorus 2
'Cause I'll come again
There's no pow'r on earth can keep Me back
Yes I'll come again
Come to take My people back
CCLI Song # 11005
Dallas Holm
© 1977 Going Holm Music (Admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
CCLI License # 1759835

The Great Thanksgiving
SURSUM CORDA
The People remain standing.
Celebrant                 The Lord be with you.
People                    And also with you.
Celebrant                 Lift up your hearts.
People                    We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant                 Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People                    It is right to give our thanks and praise.

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.
                                                           15

But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who
was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his
death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won
for us everlasting life.
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:

SANCTUS
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.
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.
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 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
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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.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
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.

                                    17

And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
   and the power, and the glory,
   forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Celebrant says
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.

The ministers receive the Sacrament and then immediately deliver it to
the people.
The Bread will be brought to the communicants and given with these
words
The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life. [Amen.]

COMMUNION HYMN               Christians to the Paschal Victim
                             Charles Callahan
Morning Star
CCLI License # 1759835

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POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Eternal 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 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.

BLESSING
The Priest blesses the people, saying
The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

POST-COMMUNION HYMN                     Because He Lives
                                        William Gaither

Verse 1
God sent His Son they called Him Jesus
He came to love heal and forgive
He bled and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove
My Savior lives

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Chorus
Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives

Verse 2
How sweet to hold our newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain days
Because Christ lives

Verse 3
And then one day I'll cross that river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict'ry
I'll see the lights of glory
And I'll know He reigns
CCLI Song # 16880
Gloria Gaither | William J. Gaither
© 1971 Hanna Street Music (Admin. by Gaither Copyright Management)
CCLI License # 1759835

DISMISSAL
        Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia,
        alleluia.
People  Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

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POSTLUDE                                 The Trees of the Field        Stuart Dauermann

Verse
You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace
The mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you
There'll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap will clap their hands

Chorus
And all the trees of the field
Will clap their hands
The trees of the field
Will clap their hands
The trees of the field
Will clap their hands
While you go out with joy
CCLI Song # 20546
Steffi Geiser Rubin | Stuart Dauermann
© 1975 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
CCLI License # 1759835

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

In-person Services Returning!
Beginning next Sunday (April 11), we will begin celebrating two Eucharist
services each week. Services will be held at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM with
Sunday School in between. Because of limited capacity in the Sanctuary, we
are asking those who would like to attend one of these services in person to
pre-register online. For those who choose not to attend, we will continue to
stream our 10:30 AM service on Facebook Live. Please see our weekly e-
newsletter for more information.

Online Coffee Fellowship
Join members of the St. A’s family on Zoom Today at 11:30 am (following
this service) for an interactive online social hour.

United Thank Offering Ingathering
“Here I am Lord”-Isaiah 6:8 The Lord is forgiving instead of judging and
he is generous when there is no obvious cause to be so. May we do the same.
Use your Blue Box as a blessing to someone. Give thanks today for those
that have declared the good news and make a gift to UTO to further outreach.

Closing with Prayer: Gracious God, we come before you in the knowledge
that although we are varied in our gifts, we are united as laborers of your
harvest. With grateful hearts, we give thanks for the blessings and challenges
that inspire the work of the United Thank Offering. Through Jesus Christ,
whose life is a blueprint we strive to follow. Amen

Easter Offering
Today’s loose offering will benefit C.O.P.E. (Christian Outreach Program –
Elkhorn) which provides assistance and services to those in need in the
greater west Omaha area.

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Sunday School
Sunday School has been meeting every week via Zoom. We will be switching
to half Zoom/half in-person after Easter to test out a new Sunday School
time. With services switching to 8:30 & 10:30 AM, we are left with a great
time in-between service to have Sunday School so that children from both
services can join, and teachers can attend an entire service! Sunday School in
person will be held from 9:45-10:20 AM.

Sister, Brother, Let Us Serve You
We now have many volunteers for parish members who request them for our
new service ministry of “Acts of Love”. Please CLICK HERE to see the full
list of possible ways volunteers can assist you. If you see a few ways we
could make your life a little easier, please mark them along with a preferred
way to contact you and the best day and time. If there is something you need
that is not listed, fill it in and we will do our best to find a volunteer with that
skill.

If you have questions, email Barb Hall at barbhall_18301@yahoo.com

See Old Friends—Make New Friends Chat
Please join us on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for an hour to just talk
about whatever is on your mind.

Anyone you think might like to get on to chat is eligible—men or women,
Episcopalians or not, just come, visit, meet new people, and enjoy an hour of
conversation on Zoom. The link can be found here.

Elaine Randall Book Club
March’s book is Clanlands: Whiskey, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure
Like No Other by Sam Heughan, Graham McTavish, & Diana Gabaldon
(Foreward). A road trip book with a difference. Explore Scotland, a land of
raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare. We will meet at the
regular time of 11:30 am Tuesday, April 27 via Zoom.

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First Spring Garden Clean-up!
The daffodils were in full bloom this past Saturday and members of St.
Augustine’s parish donned their garden duds and work gloves to help clean
away the dead plant growth from this past winter. A total of 8 adults and 5
children arrived at the garden ready to tackle the church first spring garden
cleanup for 2021. Because our night time temperatures are still going below
freezing, it was decided not to clean up all the dead plant material and leaves.
As soon as the nighttime temperatures stay above freeze, we will go back and
clean up all the dead grow in the garden.

I would appreciate if everyone who has adopted a garden will make a special
effort to keep them clean during the growing season. To increase the color in
the garden, some annuals will be planted this spring. Because of construction,
the two pots by the front red door won’t be planted. I do want to thank Carol
Ott for diligently watering the pot plants during the summer. I hope to have
the pots back this fall and they will be planted with a fall arrangement.

The church still needs an individual or family to adapt the Sally Farham
Garden located on the east side of the garden. It is small garden and won’t
need a lot of work. We also need a weekly ‘Sticker Picker Upper”. I know
that sounds like a strange request but our River Birch trees do shed a number
of sticks/limbs and these wood objects do dull the lawn mower blades. This
job would usually takes place on a Wednesday since the lawn is usually cut
on Thursday or Friday. Please contact Jim Keepers at
jlkeepers45@gmail.com if you want to volunteer to adopt a garden or be the
church’ first “Sticker Picker Upper’.

Jack and Jerry do an outstanding job cutting the garden’s lawn but we do
need another individual to volunteer to fill in when either of these individuals
are not able to mow the grass. Please contact Jack or Jerry if you would like
to volunteer.

Thanks again for everyone’s help this past Saturday and keep your eyes
peeled for our next scheduled fun filled garden cleanup day. We do need you!

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Zoom-Based Discernment Sessions for Daughters of the King
The Naomi and Ruth Chapter of Daughters of the King is offering an eight-
session discernment class starting after Easter. It will be on Monday
mornings, starting at 10 a.m.

The Naomi and Ruth Chapter at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Elkhorn
welcomes others who are interested in this discernment experience as
well. Contact Pam Wright, Naomi and Ruth Chapter President, at
wrightpamelaj@gmail.com, or Sandra Squires at sksquires@cox.net who will
be leading the discernment classes.

Friends and Family Mailing
In the weeks after Easter, we will be mailing materials and an invitation to
participate in our building campaign to Friends and Family of St Augustine’s!
This place has been a spiritual home to many generations, and we’re inviting
them all to participate in this once-in-a-generation build. If you know of
someone who would like to learn about our building project and might be
interested in participating in our funding campaign, please let Fr Ben, Maggie
Wellman, or Paul Ahrens know.

Registration is OPEN for Sacred Ground with DioNeb
St Augustine’s is finishing up a first Sacred Ground group, and will be
offering this for parish members and friends as well again in the coming
year; this opportunity is available to Episcopalians throughout Nebraska to
join together with a small group of 8-10 people (the same each time) to read
articles, watch short films, and talk through issues of history, economics, and
other large issues for our communities. The curriculum is significant but
powerful, and these diocesan groups represent a great chance to participate
in this program over the coming summer!

From diocesan chairs Noelle Ptomey and Lesley Dean:
Beginning in April of this year, the people of DioNeb are invited to join us for
Sacred Ground, a film and reading based dialogue series on race, grounded
in faith!

Sacred Ground is a 10-part series built around a powerful online curriculum
of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino,
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and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European
American histories. It is focused on the challenges that swirl around issues of
race and racism, as well as the difficult but respectful and transformative
dialogue we need to have with each other about them. Click here to
download our flyer.

Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal
Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice
in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. Click here to learn
more about the program. Register Now! Registration will run until March
31st. Classes will begin the week of April 18th.

Out of the Darkness: On the Row
This Easter season, join Balancing the Scales in viewing Prison Story
Project's On the Row and participating in a series of Zoom-based discussions
on themes of redemption, forgiveness, and new life through the eyes of
inmates on Arkansas' death row.

The Prison Story Project empowers incarcerated women and men to tell their
stories. In 2016 they were given unprecedented access to men on Arkansas’
death row just months before the scheduled executions of eight men. Their
writing was curated into a staged reading, performed by actors.

Each viewing/discussion will last 90 minutes. There are two opportunities to
watch this powerful recording and discuss in small groups with fellow
Nebraskans:
         • Sunday, April 18 at 3:30 PM, or
         • Thursday, April 22 at 7:00 PM

On Sunday, April 25 from 3:30-4:30 PM, all participants (regardless of which
screening they attend) are invited to join Kathy McGregor, founder and
director of Prison Story Project, and other voices in death row ministries in
Nebraska and across the country, for a more in-depth look at capital
punishment and what it means to visit those in prison.

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To register, please click here. Participants will be sent a Zoom link prior to
the event. Questions? Please contact Kaitlin Reece at
kaitlinreece@gmail.com.

In-Person Services (with Virtual Option) to Carefully Return:
Partial-Occupancy Services at 8:30 and 10:30 am, beginning Sunday,
April 11th – details below.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen virus rates drop below the diocesan
guideline that allows for in-person worship on Sundays:
https://public.tableau.com/shared/46GYFCCZB?:display_count=y&:origin=v
iz_share_link
As a reminder, the 7-day average needs to remain below 20, but we are in the
orange on it for now, which is very heartening news. We are going to offer
the following initial plan for returning to worship.

Safety Practices
Masks, Social Distancing, and seating by family bubble will continue to be
required, even for those who are vaccinated. Vaccination is strongly
encouraged for all members; please ask Fr Ben if you have questions about
the church’s practices or the moral questions around vaccines. Please be
aware that at present, we are using an outdoor port-a-potty as our bathroom
facility while our indoor facilities are being re-done. We believe many people
will want to wait until they are vaccinated or until later this year to return, but
if we have strong enthusiasm, we may ask people to alternate weeks in
attending to keep our numbers to a safer margin. Kate Kielion, our Director
of Ministries, is working out which sign-up program we will use.
Beginning after Easter (April 11th), we will have 2 in-person worship
opportunities on Sundays. This timing should allow our ministers to be fully
vaccinated by our return, and allow time for our audio/visual streaming
technology to be fully installed in the sanctuary, eliminating some trip
hazards and clutter.
8:30 am: a service of up to 40 people plus ministers (advance sign-up
required, setup TBD). Praise Band music. This service will not be broadcast
via Facebook Live.

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9:30 am: a prep and cleaning time; we will be asking people to depart from
the sanctuary after the previous service.

10:30 am: a service of up to 40 people plus ministers (advance sign-up
required, setup TBD). Organ music. This service will be broadcast via
Facebook live.
This schedule keeps our cleaning needs to a minimum, and also allows us to
use this remaining construction time to experiment with a two-service
Sunday, which might give us the opportunity for a true Formation Hour
between the two services, which could be used for everything from coffee-
hour fellowship across our times to parish meetings and events to ongoing
classes. This seems like an appropriate moment to try this possible schedule
out.
Holy Communion
We will begin celebrating weekly Eucharistic services again, rather than
Morning Prayer. These will involve only the hosts (bread) and not, at present,
a common cup. I will reiterate a call for people who would like to receive
communion at home, and if needed, train Lay Eucharistic Ministers to make
those visits. We will continue to have safety practices around preparing
communion.
Acolytes, Lectors, Altar Guild
We will be evaluating our liturgical ministries one by one, but at present are
not restoring them fully. The hope is to begin carefully adapting and
returning these elements of our worship as we think through issues of care,
safety, and the ministry of each, so stay tuned and please check in with Kate
and Fr Ben about your ministry in the coming weeks!
Singing
At present, we don’t have enough clarity about how best to safely add singing
back into our indoor worship services. We will continue to review best
practices, medical advice, and technology possibilities, and hope to add
choral music back in at some point to both services. While it won’t
immediately be a part of our programming, we will continue to actively work
towards it.

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Communications
While our hope is that transmission rates continue to decline and vaccines
make everyone safer, a sudden surge in transmission or cases or other
medical realities may require us to return to virtual worship in the future. If
we do, we will attempt to make that call by the preceding Thursday so that
the news can be shared via the weekly e-mail (sign up by contacting Jay
Hammond at parish@sainta.net), as well as on our website and Facebook
page.

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RECTOR’S REFLECTION

Thursday, April 1, 2021
Green Blades Rising

This past week I’ve been hit hard by “hayfever” – that wonderful mid-
western phrase for seasonal allergies as the world opens up to spring budding.
Last week it was bad enough that, full of the paranoia of this moment, I went
in for an instant covid test (even though I’ve been vaccinated) to make sure
my congestion was just a matter of the pollen count (the test came back
negative). I was left to ponder the “providence” of having my voice knocked
out from under me just before Holy Week, although things finally seem to be
subsiding a bit, a week later.

I’ve lived with bad allergies for most of my life. I more or less buy into the
hygiene hypothesis – that we’re getting so good at beating bad illness that our
immune system decides to amuse itself by beating up innocuous things like
seasonal tree pollen. There’s probably a good sermon metaphor in there about
communities that attack anything different because they don’t have actual
real threats to deal with. Still, I’d rather deal with my body’s meaningless
battle against the flowers and leaves twice a year than, say, polio or smallpox.

This year, with the pollen count slamming me right around Holy Week, I’ve
been thinking about how we react. Just a few weeks ago, we had a Gospel
reading from John: Jesus taught, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth
and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit,” (Jn
12:20-33). That image is the heart of the passage for me: a tiny seedgrain
buried alive, which must crack open and spread roots deep to draw in what it
needs, and stalks upward towards sun and air to have more life and bear fruit.
It’s always forefront of my mind how uncomfortable this must be for the seed
… contrasted with how astonishingly greater is the life that it arrives at
through that growth.

Hayfever is arriving as that metaphor for me this year, then. My body – and
frankly, my personality – are more resistant to change in my environment
than they need to be. The blossoming of this world is not only a beautiful
thing, but it is the very life of creation itself, whether my overmacho T-cells

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like it or not! One change I wish I COULD make is to flip a switch and turn
off that automatic immune behavior.

Of course, the reality is that most of us have plenty of automatic behavior.
Plenty of it resists change. A good share of it winds up directed at things that
ultimately aren’t really threatening, but simply a part of the world’s continual
blossoming and liveliness: the movement of life all around us, in all of its
variations.

One of the definitions of sin in Christian theology over the centuries has been
“an orientation away from God,” which can include things like being oriented
away from the goodness in the world around us, or even an orientation away
from the gifts and potential that God has put within ourselves. The seed that
is afraid to grow is “bound” by sin, more than it is, say, “sinning” … and the
grace that Jesus gives us from the Cross is ultimately about “unbinding” us.
That is to say: part of what we are meant to be freed from in Easter life is the
automatic cycles of unnecessary sin and violence and death. The death of
Jesus himself was the terrible pinnacle of this: living love and wisdom
walking earth as a humble man, yet promising change and a new life that
were so real, the powers of his age reacted against him immediately and
violently, lest he trigger the “immune response” of Caesar’s fearful violence.
Yet even in the face of that most terrible human reaction, Jesus did not end
the message of love for us: instead, forgiveness was pronounced from the
midst of the violence, and resurrection light showed us that the end wasn’t
the ending.

I can’t flip a switch on my allergies, any more than I can stop myself from
sometimes reacting out of automatic sin before I get a chance to stop and
think or control my responses. But what I can do is recognize that God knows
the whole truth of it, and is there to help me crack open my most stubborn,
shelled-up parts, so that I can keep growing into the life God’s been inviting
me to live.

Here’s to the cracking.

Ben +

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Capital Campaign Update for 3-25-21
More Planning Ahead

As we continue our build we’re finding that some opportunities are getting
clearer. As we connected to our existing church spaces, we found a few roof
and wall panels that have become weathered and can be easily replaced while
the walls and roof are open to our access. Also, while we didn’t have a
specific security system in our original design, we’ve recognized that this is a
good time to put some basic wiring and piping “raceways” in place that could
be used later to install one, and have had a consultant out to look that over
with us, working from the understanding that preparing these options now is
far less expensive than coming back to them later, and represents taking
advantage of good opportunities for stewardship in the moment.

In general terms, the build is progressing into electrical systems and more
plumbing indoors, which will then get inspected. In the coming weeks, we
should begin to see interior drywall and exterior siding, which will make the
building “look” far more completed! Outside, they’ve begun “grading” the
site – getting dirt levels and density up to the correct levels to eventually
extend our parking lot spaces around the north side of the building. They’ll
also be working on the leech field – a system of underground pipes and
drainage that empties our septic-system bathroom facilities (all of Skyline
Ranches neighborhood is on septic!). Grant Suhr has started working with
our architect and contractor team with his new Junior Warden hat on, and his
background as an architect has been a great gift in keeping our questions and
timelines focused!

As that earthwork comes to a close, we’ve asked Jim Keepers to help attend
some meetings with the architect and contractor to make sure that we start
emerging into a good landscaping design that will tie in beautifully to our
existing gardens and greens. As with Grant and the architecture, having Jim
involved in the garden planning is a great use of the gifts and skills in our
church community!

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In terms of our fundraising and the formal Capital Campaign, the
Communications Team co-chairs (Maggie Wellman and Paul Ahrens) have
helped review and update mailing materials to reflect our project’s status, and
we plan to send invitations to participate to our Friends and Family in the
next few weeks.
Meanwhile, a big Thank You! to our whole community – our pledge
fulfilment for the Capital Campaign has been steady and faithful, and that has
helped keep all of this moving quickly and smoothly!

As always, please feel free to reach out to Fr Ben with questions or comments
at rector@sainta.net!

From riteplanning.com.
Copyright © 2021 Church Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.

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Ministers of              This Week                Next Week,
    the Day                  04/04/2021               04/11/2021

                                N/A                 Ali Threlkeld, Joe
Musicians 8:30am:
                                                        Threlkeld

Musicians 10:30am:       Ali Threlkeld, Joe           Sally Hodges
                       Threlkeld, Sally Hodges

Celebrant:              Rev. Benedict Varnum      Rev. Benedict Varnum
Deacon:                   David Holmquist           David Holmquist
Liturgical Shepherd:         Pam Wright                Pam Wright
Chalice:                        N/A                       N/A
Acolytes 8:30am:                N/A                       N/A
Acolytes 10:30am:               N/A                       N/A
10:30 am Greeter:               N/A                       N/A

8:30 am Lector:                 N/A                 Mary Jane Smith
10:30 am
                           Dave Holmquist              Jean Lahti
Lector:
Altar Guild
                           Angie Gallegos            Angie Gallegos
8:30 am:
Altar Guild
                           Angie Gallegos            Angie Gallegos
10:30 am:
Sunday School          In-person scavenger hunt          Virtual

Coffee Hour                    Virtual                   Virtual

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