10.3.21 National Cathedral Sunday Online Service

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] there is none like you [Music] no one else can touch my heart like you do [Music] i could search for all the tiny [Music] you [Music] there is none like you no one else can touch my heart like you do [Music] there is none there's none there's none like there is none [Music] like you [Music] [Music] i love you lord oh your mercy never fails me and all my days i've been held in your hands from the moment that i wake up until i lay in my head oh i will sing of the goodness of my god you have been faithful and all my life you have been so good [Music] of the goodness of god i love your voice you haven't let me through the fire and in darkest and nights you are close to like no other i've known you as a father i've known you as a friend [Music] and all my life you have been faithful [Music] and all my life you have been so [Music] good [Music] of the goodness of god [Music] it's is enough to me with my life laid down and surrendered now i give you everything cause your goodness is [Music] surrender now i give you everything [Music] it keeps running after me and all my life you have been faithful and all my life you have been so so good with every breath that i am able oh i'm gonna think of the goodness of god [Music] all my life you have been faithful and all my life you have been so so good with every breath that i am able [Music] of the goodness of god good morning and welcome it wasn't that beautiful just puts me in the right place my name is dana corcello i'm the canon vicar of washington national cathedral and on behalf of our bishop mary and buddy and our dean randy hollerath i want to welcome you to the cathedral on what is truly a special special day let me explain why the choristers are back they have been on a hiatus of course during the pandemic and have not been singing in this cathedral since march of 2020 and so for those of you who are part of our national international congregation i promise you you are in for a treat today we have the girls the girls are singing their voices are beautiful and all of us are just so excited to be here and to share them with all of you and also after this service at two o'clock we're blessing animals we are recognizing the feast of saint francis so if you can come back those of you who live nearby we'd love for you to bring your fur babies we'll be blessing those at 2 p.m and also streaming live on instagram so that's it too but if that weren't enough at four o'clock even song has returned four o'clock most beautiful ancient of our services i hope many of you will come or tell your friends and for those of you who are watching online it will be live streamed four o'clock is even song and the girls will be singing then as well now i know that many of you have probably struggled or harried to get here it's time to focus on just being here let's just focus on being here and ask for the holy spirit to anoint us all to be with us to open our hearts and minds to god's wisdom god's love and god's blessings again thank you for being here foreign [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] blessed be our god praying together almighty god to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you know 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 [Music] so foreign [Applause] [Music] the lord be with you let us pray almighty and everlasting god you were always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve pour upon us the abundance of your mercy for giving us those sins of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask except through the merits and mediation of jesus christ our savior who lives and reigns with you in the holy spirit one god forever and ever amen a reading from the book of genesis the lord god said it is not good that man should be alone i will make him a helper as his partner so out of the ground the lord formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them and whatever the man called every living creature that was its name the man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner so the lord god caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slept then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh and the rib that the lord god had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man then the man said this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh this one shall be called woman for out of man this one was taken therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife and they become one flesh the word of the lord is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] right is is [Music] oh [Music] oh it's all the time [Music] a reading from the letter to the hebrews long ago ago god spoke to our ancestors and many in various ways by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken to us by a son whom he appointed air of all things through whom he also created the worlds he is the reflection of god's glory and the exact imprint of god's very being and he sustains all things by his powerful word when he had made purification for sins he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs now god did not subject the coming world about which we are speaking to angels but someone has testified somewhere what are human beings that you are mindful of them or mortals that you care for them you have made them for a little while lower than the angels you have crowned them with glory and honor subjecting all things under their feet now in subjecting all things to them god left nothing outside of their control as it is we do not yet see everything in subjection to them but we do see jesus who for a little while was made lower than the angels now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the great side he might taste death for everyone it was fitting that god for whom and through whom all things exist in bringing many children to glory should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings for the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one father for this reason jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters saying i will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters in the midst of the congregation i will praise you the word of the lord [Music] children of the heavenly father safely in [Music] it was [Music] in this [Music] in his mighty arms he bears [Music] is [Music] your [Music] every person my son [Music] his children to preserve them pure and holy [Music] marcos is some pharisees came and to test him they asked is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife he answered them what did moses command you they said moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her but jesus said to them because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you but from the beginning of creation god made them male and female for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh so they are no longer two but one flesh therefore what god has joined together let no one separate then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter he said to them whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery people were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them and the disciples spoke sternly to them but when jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them let the little children come to me do not stop them for it is to such as these that the kingdom of god belongs truly i tell you whoever does not receive the kingdom of god as a little child will never enter it and he took them up in his arms laid his hands on them and blessed them the gospel of the lord [Music] i ask your prayers this morning in the name of the father the son and the holy ghost amen 48 years ago on october 9th 1973 the episcopal church at its 64th general convention recognized civil divorce no longer would one be subject to excommunication or denied the sacrament and the one-year waiting period for remarriage was abolished as you might imagine this was big news encumbered in newspapers all across the country our church had begun debating these canons in 1808 when it passed a resolution prohibiting remarriage after divorce except in cases of adultery it's been a touchy and messy subject since the irony of this should not be lost on anyone the english reformation the founding of the church of england or anglican tradition all came into being because henry viii wanted a divorce lord have mercy that man had six wives as the did he goes one died one survived two dewetted to beheaded when henry broke with the pope and declared himself head of a new church in 1533 it was because he wanted to annul his first marriage to catherine of aragon who had failed to produce a male heir perhaps more than any of jesus's pronouncements this one concerning divorce and remarriage has caused two millennia of soul-crushing pain and rejection it begs a scandalous question did jesus miss the mark on this one were his expectations unrealistic his standards too high could he really demand such purity of heart from us mortals dare i ask is he the one whose heart is a little too rough around the edges as far as we know he never married this my friends is tough stuff and i must admit i've had a hard time trying to find the good news in this gospel passage one of the responsibilities of a preacher is to make sure that the gospels of love do not become messengers of shame and despair i appreciate how the new testament scholar amy jo levine wrestles with some of the more confounding things jesus said she compares her struggles with scripture to the conflict one may have with the spouse or best friend she writes and i quote when the love is strong enough then honesty is not a threat we can say i think that's a dangerous comment to make or even how dare you because the love keeps us in relationship at times we have to agree to disagree but the love continues end quote and so it goes with our own wrestling with scripture in the red letter words of jesus so let's begin by asking what might this text have meant in its original context keep in mind that jesus had turned his face toward jerusalem he took every opportunity to declare that the kingdom of god was radically different from from first century palestinian and greco-roman culture for starters jesus foils the rhetorical trap set by the pharisees they pose a question they know has no satisfying answer yet jesus manages a positive answer jesus speaks of god's intention for marriage by not proposing the excommunication of any of us followers who divorce instead he seeks to abolish the prerogative of husbands ending their marriages on a whim at the time jewish law stipulated that a man could divorce his wife simply if she displeased him jesus does not deny the current practice of divorce as given to moses in the 24th chapter of deuteronomy instead he trumps it with another passage the oldest of old school passages from the torah jesus takes the pharisees back to the very beginning to the passage from genesis in which god realized that his creation was incomplete one can imagine god fretting it is not good for a human to be alone god wanted to give the very first human a partner a helper a companion in whose very image the first human had just been made so when jesus tells his disciples whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her and if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery he is actually more concerned about mutual respect and equality between the two in his day adultery was understood as a crime against another man's honor and property you see a man could be as sexually promiscuous as he liked as long as it didn't violate another man's property a woman was required to be faithful or chased so as not to bring shame on her husband and father what's more when a woman received a certificate of divorce she lost most of her rights she could find herself begging for food on the street or prostituting herself for income and if she were accused of adultery she could be stoned to death jesus is saying that in his kingdom divorce and remarriage amount to adultery for both women and men while jesus concedes that divorce is something one can do he insists that it is not what god intended the question is not a legal one he tells them not at its heart at its heart the purpose of all human interaction all human communion is spiritual what did god originally intend what is god's enduring dream that the two become one flesh that no one rends asunder what god joins together this is my favorite part in our marriage ceremony in the book of common prayer i love to wrap my stole around those the couple's hands and i say that very thing those whom god has joined together let no one rent asunder so now my friends this is where i need you to open your minds to free yourself from any notion that eve being created from adam's rib meant that she was subordinate in response to the dilemma of adam needing a help mate god dreamed only as god can my favorite spiritual writer debbie thomas describes it this way the dream of likeness a dream of partnership a dream of intimacy when the dream was realized when god brought eve to adam that first human being cried out in a kind of joy that had never been heard on earth before this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh behold my other half my companion my compliment my friend here is someone i instinctively know someone obviously as precious as singular and as priceless to me as my own bones my own flesh my own self human community began genesis tells us with complete empathy and nurture god's model for the human family was a model of equality and mutuality what adam noticed first was not difference it was similarity bone of my bones it's unfortunate that verse 25 was left off the lectionary because it reads and the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed of course times of prosperity and adversity lie ahead but the role of a suitable not subordinate helper through it all is a constant in the beginning the couple stands side by side one flesh and mutuality and equality but not subsumed by the other i think this scripture confronts us with our own cardio sclerosis [Music] our own hardness of heart in other words the reason human relationships fail the reason we wreak such destruction and brokenness on ourselves and innocent bystanders it's not that god's dream is naive idealistic or fantastical it's because we humans are hard of heart we're selfish we fall into self-hate and egotism we're lazy we poison and dull our senses with substances we break ourselves we sin to accept that god's desire for human marriage is lifelong intimacy and companionship is not to suggest that god's ideal is always possible or that failing in a marriage is a sin it is not the tension that we feel lies with jesus insisting that the covenant of marriage could not be dissolved but this is where the holy spirit comes to the rescue as well as our own theology as episcopalians which allows reason to coexist with scripture and tradition and no we are not surrendering to modern morays or caving to culture we trust that god's revelation did not end with the bible and that god reveals god's self to us as much today as when the bible was canonized as hard as it is to admit the bible and reality sometimes conflict and we hold on too tight to the wrong thread of faith the holy spirit you see moves and breathes within the pages and guides our reading and understanding of it so that we can find abundance in life rather than shame and despair scripture also makes abundantly clear that god's dream is that all human relationships serve as dedicated lifelong schools for love and that god does not love any dream more than god loves us god's dream for marriage is not meant to trap us wound us diminish us or condemn us even though adam's cry at seeing eve was a cry of pure joy of cry of static recognition we know that sometimes joy dies sometimes the familiar becomes unrecognizable marriage makes our vulnerabilities so familiar sometimes intimacy ends in betrayal when these things happen though there is grace there is mercy and there is freedom grace mercy and freedom always always always don't ever forget that to toward the end of this chapter in mark after jesus reverses the values of the hierarchical status quo in which men are valued over women and adults over children he offers another perhaps the most uncomfortable proclamation of all that it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than the wealthy to enter the kingdom of god then who can be saved the disciples fret jesus looks at them and says for mortals it is impossible but not for god for god all things are possible my friends i have witnessed miracles in marriages and in divorces forgiveness open-heartedness restored trust just a few years ago i officiated the marriage of a divorced couple who remarried each other they have a daughter one day she confided in her father that her mother never stopped loving him after a few years and a lot of hard emotional and spiritual work they reconciled i cannot begin to tell you how beautiful it was to bless them with their daughter kneeling in between during that final marriage blessing the fact that the marriage took place in resurrection chapel beneath this sanctuary was not lost on anyone this is not a fairy tale this is god with god all things are possible and all things are possible for those who divorce you are loved beyond our finite comprehension and you are wedded to christ for that i am certain for those whom god has joined together let no one rend ascender amen let us affirm our faith in the words of 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 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 men 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 with confidence in god's grace and mercy let us pray for the church the world and all those in need let us pray for the church that it may have the mind of christ and empty itself for the sake of the world lord in your mercy hear our prayer let us pray for the good earth which god has given us that we may be good stewards of creation for the sake of generations to come let us pray for those who govern that they may discern your will and wisdom amid the pressures of this world pour out your spirit upon joseph president of the united states in all in positions of public trust that they may serve justice and promote the dignity and freedom of every person this week we pray for the people and government of rhode island lord in your mercy hear our prayer let us pray for all who suffer and those bearing heavy burdens grant your compassion to those with chronic illnesses and covet and all living with anxiety or mental anguish that they may know the peace and healing of your presence lord in your mercy hear our prayer let us pray for this congregation and community reveal your servant love through our ministries that our work on behalf of our neighbors may be an extension of your gracious love for the whole human family lord in your mercy let us pray for all who have died we remember those who have lost their lives to covet gun violence or any form of hatred may we share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom lord in your mercy o lord our god accept the fervent prayers of your people in the multitude of your mercies look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help for you are gracious a lover of souls and to you we give glory father son and holy spirit now and forever amen let us confess our sins against god and our neighbor most merciful god we confess that we have sinned against you in thought word indeed 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 since ourselves we are truly sorry and we humbly repent for the sake of your son jesus christ have mercy on us and forgive us that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name amen almighty god have mercy on you forgive you all your sins through our lord jesus christ strengthen you in all goodness and by the power of the holy spirit keep you in eternal life the peace of the lord be always with you i'm jan cope the provost to the cathedral and i join our vicar in extending a warm welcome to everyone i got to meet some of you before the service many of you coming from around the country and some around the globe how many of you are visiting us this morning wonderful welcome it's been such a joy to us at the cathedral to welcome some people in person who've been worshiping with us online for 18 months our virtual congregation and it fills our heart to actually meet you in person so we're so delighted you're here today at this point in the service we move from the ministry of the word to the ministry of the table all are welcome to receive communion at christ's table so at the appropriate time we hope that you will come forward in these coveted times we ask that you just keep your masts on and we will give you the bread and then as you make your way back to your seats you're welcome to consume the bread and if you'd prefer not to receive communion that's totally okay but we hope you'll come forward for a blessing a prayer from one of us just cross your arms over your chest like this if that's your desire and intention and we'd be honored to say a prayer with you when we come together like this we have an opportunity to reflect on the myriad ways in which god showers blessings on us day by day and week by week and we have an opportunity in that to give back out of gratitude for the blessings that god has done in our lives in this coveted time we're not passing a plate but be assured there's a way for you to give we would not miss that opportunity there for those of you who are here in the cathedral there are some boxes at the front of the church where you can leave an offering if you like you can text to give there are many different ways to give online and those will be available to you but as we say every sunday first and foremost please give to your own church communities and then if you were able to support us here at the cathedral we would be deeply honored and profoundly grateful and now walk in love as christ loved us and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to god [Music] god and god alone [Music] created all these things we call our own from the mighty to the small the glory of them is [Music] and god alone [Music] reveals the truth of all we call unknown and the best and worst of men won't change the master's plan it's god [Music] alone [Music] god and god [Music] let everything that lives reserve its truest praise [Music] god god alone will be the joy of our eternal home [Music] of god and god [Music] is [Music] everything that lives reserved it's true [Music] [Music] god and god alone is [Music] grace [Music] amen the lord be with you lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the lord our god it is right in a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you father almighty creator of heaven and earth for you are the source of light and life you made us in your image and called us to new life in jesus christ our lord 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 [Music] oh [Music] filled with [Music] oh oh [Applause] [Music] 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 an 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 we need 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 oh father in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving recalling as 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 sanctifies 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 forever and now as our savior christ has taught us we are bold to say our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom in the power and the glory forever and ever amen [Music] um [Music] the sins of the world have mercy on [Music] you us away the sins of the world have mercy on us take away the sins of the world [Music] the gifts of god for the people of god take them in remembrance christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] me is [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] as well [Music] [Music] oh [Music] foreign [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] praying together we thank you lord that you have fed us in this sacrament and united us with christ send us into the world to preach the gospel of his kingdom confirm us in this mission and help us to live the good news we proclaim through jesus christ our lord amen life is short and we don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us so be swift to love hate to make love for one another make haste to be kind in the name of god father son and holy spirit amen [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] go in peace to love and serve the lord [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you

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Length: 100min 15sec (6015 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 03 2021