St. Francis Church Biblically minded. Mission Driven.

The Right Reverend John C. Bauerschmidt--Bishop of Tennessee

The Reverend Joseph B. Howard--Vicar

Order of Worship

The vision of St. Francis Church is to be a community

dedicated to the transformation of lives with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ for the Kingdom of God.

The Third Sunday of Lent

A note for visitors: We’re thankful that you could join us for worship today, and
we pray God blesses you in your time here. The service is printed in your bulletin and
insert. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask someone around you!

St. Francis Church wants to encourage families to worship together. The practice of
dividing families for worship is a modern invention and is often detrimental to the goal
of worshipping as a body. In order to be a community where all ages feel welcome,
we provide coloring materials for children to use during worship and seek to be a
community that understands the specific gifts and challenges that children bring. We
encourage you, should you feel comfortable doing so, to sit toward the front with your
children, as little-ones are often more attentive if they can see what is happening.

That being said, we understand that there may be times when it is best to take
advantage of child care, which we have available in the room immediately through the
Kitchen off of the entryway. All parents are provided with vibrating beepers to inform
them should anything come up requiring their attention.

In Preparation for worship: We invite you to take a few moments before the service
begins to be still, and rest from the business of your lives. Take time to breathe deeply,
and reflect upon the past week. When you’re ready, you might say the following prayer
or one like it in preparation for worship.

O Almighty God, who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and
of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of
heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled
affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth; though Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

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 The Word of God
Processional: Come, Thou Fount of every Blessing Lift Every Voice and Sing 111

Opening Acclamation:

Celebrant: Blessed be the God of our salvation

People: Who bears our burdens and forgives our sins.

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Collect for Purity:

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.

Kyrie

Celebrant: Lord have mercy

People: Christ have mercy
Celebrant: Lord have mercy

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray.

Collect of the Day:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us
both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from
all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may
assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading: Exodus 17:1-7

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages,
according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim; but there was
no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people found fault with Moses, and said,
“Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you find fault with me? Why
do you put the Lord to the proof?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people
murmured against Moses, and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and
our children and our cattle with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with
this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on
before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the
rod with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the
rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people
may drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name
of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the faultfinding of the children of Israel, and
because they put the Lord to the proof by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Psalm of the day:

Psalm 95
Venite, exultemus

1 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *

  let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
 
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 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
  and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
 
3 For the Lord is a great God, *
  and a great King above all gods.
 
4 In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
  and the heights of the hills are his also.
 
5 The sea is his, for he made it, *
  and his hands have molded the dry land.
 
6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
  and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
 
7 For he is our God,
  and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
  Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
 
8 Harden not your hearts,
  as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
  at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,
  when they tempted me.
 
9 They put me to the test, *
  though they had seen my works.
 
10 Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
  “This people are wayward in their hearts;
  they do not know my ways.”
 
11 So I swore in my wrath, *
  “They shall not enter into my rest.”

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand,
and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in
our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to
us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will
hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since,
therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from
the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only
so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received our reconciliation.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.
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Sequence Hymn: Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word Hymnal 440

Gospeller: The Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ according to ______.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ

Gospel Reading: John 4:5-42

So he came to a city of Samar’ia, called Sy’char, near the field that Jacob gave to his son
Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat
down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samar’ia to
draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into
the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a
drink of me, a woman of Samar’ia?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus
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answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me
a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The
woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do
you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well,
and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Every one
who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give
him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not
thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in
saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have
is not your husband; this you said truly.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you
are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is
the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour
is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the
Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I
know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us
all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” Just then his disciples came.
They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, “What do you wish?” or,
“Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the
city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be
the Christ?” They went out of the city and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples
besought him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you
do not know.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has any one brought him food?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his
work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift
up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives
wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for
which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He
told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay
with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word.
They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we
have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ

Sermon: The Rev. Joseph B. Howard

The Nicene Creed

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,
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God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

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

The Prayers of the People

Leader: Let us pray

In our Diocese we pray for Otey Memorial Parish, Sewanee.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for The Church of the Province of
Central Africa The Most Rev’d Bernard Amos Malango Archbishop of Central
Africa & Bishop of Upper Shire

Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;

People: That we all may be one.

Leader: Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
People: That your Name may be glorified by all people.

Leader: We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

People: That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacra-
ments.

Leader: We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the
world;
People: That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

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Leader: Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
People: That our works may find favor in your sight.

Leader: Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
People: That they may be delivered from their distress.

Leader: Give to the departed eternal rest;

People: Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Leader: We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
People: May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.

Silence

Celebrant: Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask, help us to ask
only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare
not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

Celebrant: Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our
God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second
is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment
greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

The Confession

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.

Celebrant: 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.

Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People: And also with you.
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Announcements

The Holy Communion

Offertory music selected by the musician

All stand for the Doxology: #380 (last verse)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heav’nly host
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

Celebrant: All things come of thee O Lord.

People: And of thine own have we given thee.

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 him thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did
not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for
ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.

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:

The Sanctus: S-130

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.

Please stand or kneel at this time, as best helps you to pray.

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
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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 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:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

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.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed by thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
People: Have mercy upon us.
Celebrant: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
People: Have mercy upon us.
Celebrant: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
People: Grant us Thy peace.
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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.

ON RECEIVING COMMUNION: All baptized persons who are in love and charity
with their neighbors are welcome to receive communion. If you do not wish to receive,
you are invited to come for a prayer of blessing—simply cross your arms over your chest
to let the servers know that you will not be receiving.

Prayers before receiving can be found on pages 337 (the Prayer of Humble Access)
and 834 in the Book of Common Prayer (the red books available under your chairs).

Communion music chosen by the musician.

Post-Communion Prayer

Almighty and everliving God,

we thank you for feeding us
with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body and Blood
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
and for assuring us in these holy mysteries
that we are living members of the Body of your Son,
and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And now, Father, send us out
to do the work you have given us to do,
to love and serve you
as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Solemn Prayer over the people

Celebrant: Bow down before the Lord.

all kneel

Look mercifully on this your family, Almighty God, that by your great goodness they
may be governed and preserved evermore; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Recessional: Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah Hymnal 690

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Celebrant says the dismissal
People: Thanks be to God.

A Note on Today’s Readings

The third Sunday of Lent—Year A

Welcome to our church on this Sunday of the Samaritan Woman. This story is one of the
classic biblical passages for those preparing for baptism at Easter. As the woman was
gradually enlightened about Jesus and about her relationship to God, so the candidates
are growing in their relationship with God during Lent. They look forward to receiving in
baptism the “living water” of God’s Spirit in their lives. Those already baptized are filled
with that living water and continue to be enlighted by God’s Spirit.

In the first reading, we move forward in the history of salvation from the call of Abraham
and Sarah to the account of Moses and Israel in the Exodus from Egypt. On the occasion
we read about today, God provides water for the people in the desert. This is an image of
God’s loving care for all people in the spiritual dryness of this world.
The second reading is about the new life we have in God through Christ. Jesus gave up his
life for us, in order that we might be put right with God. In his death and resurrection, the
estrangement between God and humanity is being repaired. We, in baptism, have been
reconciled with God.

As people in the desert thirst for water, so Christians find in their Lenten living the thirst
for life that only God can quench. All of us, both the baptized and those preparing for
baptism, are, like the Samaritan woman, being enlightened and filled with the grace of the
living water that comes from our Savior.

From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church
Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New
York.

Notes:

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 Announcements

Welcome to our guests!

We’re very happy that you chose to worship with us this morning. Please join us after the
service for snacks and conversation, to take some time to get to know us and for us to get
to know you. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Upcoming events & service opportunities:

I Believe:
Please join us on Wednesday night at 6:00 for soup and salad followed by a
Lenten reflection on the subject of belief and trust.

Church Beautification Project:

In the interests of making our worship space more beautiful and worshipful, Anna and
Linda are proposing Lenten Banner Sewing Parties starting on February 9th. We’re
planning for four of these parties each Saturday, ending on March 1st. They will run from
10 am until 2pm, with lunch provided. For more info, call Anna at 440-6493 or Linda at
672-9749.

Junior Acolytes:
We have several young people who are interested in being Junior Acolytes. We will be
scheduling a Saturday morning introduction to acolyting after Easter. If you you are
interested, there’s still time to get involved, just let Fr. Jody know.

Volunteer opportunities at St. Francis:

If you are interested in any of the following ministries, please let Fr. Jody know after the
service or via email: frjody@stfrancis-tn.net .

Reader/Lector (Read the lessons and lead prayers)

Newsletter & website team (basically contributing to both of these, helping to organize
them, not doing it all. The more the merrier)

Scheduling (you would basically set up the server schedule each month, email it to the
servers and post it on the bulletin board and web site.)

Sexton team (Several members already volunteer their time and energy to help keep St.
Francis’ clean and tidy. If you would like to join them and volunteer your time, sign on to
this ministry)

If you have an announcement that you would like in the bulletin, please email it to Fr.
Jody by Wednesday the week before so it can be included.

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 Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt

Vicar
The Rev. Joseph B. Howard

Mission Council Members

Senior Warden: Ralph Eddy
Member: Linda Palmer
Member: Thom Chittom
Treasurer: Shelley Sircy
Clerk: Nanci Frey

Accompanist
Thomas Duffy

Schedule of Ministry:
Preacher & Celebrant: The Rev. Joseph B. Howard Reader: Nanci Frey
Acolyte/Crucifer: none Prayer Station: Linda Palmer
Oblationers: The Chittom Family Chalicist: Anna Howard
To check the schedule online, visit:
http://stfrancis-tn.net and go to congregational resources-->schedule

To get in touch with Fr. Jody for any reason, you can reach him at the Church, 851-0790, his cell, 440-6492 or via
email at frjody@stfrancis-tn.net.
_______________________________________________________________________________

St. Francis Church

Biblically minded. Mission driven.
812 Meadowlark Ln
PO Box 697
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
Phone: 851-0790
http://stfrancis-tn.net

Cover Image: Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the Well

CCLI License No. 2334637
Oneliscence.net No. A-714717

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