Holy Eucharist Rite II - Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 22, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Surrendering Our Unruly Wills and Affections to God

The human heart often desires what is fleeting and chases after temporary comforts. We can find our wills and affections scattered, pulled in many directions by the world's demands. Yet, there is a grace offered to us, a divine assistance that empowers us to love what God commands and to desire what He promises. This is not a burden but a liberation, aligning our deepest longings with His eternal goodness. In this surrender, we find our hearts fixed on the true joy that never fades. [10:40]

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise, that among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

Reflection: What is one specific desire or "affection" in your life that currently feels out of order or misaligned with God's promises? How might you invite His grace to reshape that desire this week?

Day 2: Finding Our True and Lasting Joy in Christ

The world offers many sources of happiness, but they are often swift to change and quick to fade. These fleeting joys cannot satisfy the deepest longings of the human spirit. True and lasting joy is found not in circumstances, but in a person—Jesus Christ. He is the constant amid life’s changes, the firm foundation when everything else feels unstable. When our hearts are fixed on Him, we tap into a joy that is eternal and unshakeable. [10:40]

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you recently been seeking joy in something temporary, and how did it leave you feeling? What would it look like to consciously redirect your hope toward Christ's presence today?

Day 3: Cleansed by the Spirit to Love and Worship

We come before God with open hearts, yet we are aware that our thoughts and motives are not always pure. We need a cleansing that goes beyond our own efforts, an inner renewal that only God's Spirit can provide. This divine inspiration purifies our intentions and empowers us to love God perfectly. It is a gift of grace that prepares us to worship Him in spirit and in truth, magnifying His holy name with our whole lives. [08:25]

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. (Book of Common Prayer)

Reflection: What is one "thought of your heart"—a worry, a fear, or an impure motive—that you need to bring before God for His cleansing today?

Day 4: Proclaiming the Core of Our Faith Together

Our faith is not a solitary belief but a shared confession, a truth we affirm together as one body. We believe in a God who created all things, a Savior who became incarnate for our sake, and a Holy Spirit who gives life. This creed anchors us in the historical reality of Christ's death, resurrection, and promised return. In proclaiming this faith, we are united with believers across all times and places, acknowledging one Lord, one faith, one baptism. [40:09]

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... (Nicene Creed, Book of Common Prayer)

Reflection: As you reflect on the words of the Creed, which line resonates most deeply with you today, and why?

Day 5: Sent Forth to Bear Holy Gifts in Peace

The worship service concludes, but our service to the world is just beginning. We are not dismissed; we are sent. We are sent out in peace, nourished by Christ's body and blood, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. We carry the holy gifts of grace, forgiveness, and love we have received into our daily lives and relationships. Our calling is to share this communion with others, bearing witness to the unity we have in Christ, the one bread, and the one cup. [01:20:56]

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. (Book of Common Prayer)

Reflection: Into which specific relationship or situation this week is God sending you to bear His gifts of peace and grace? What is one practical step you can take?

Sermon Summary

The service opens with the liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer, calling the community to confession, prayer, and the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. Prayers ask God to order unruly wills and affections and to fix hearts amid the swift changes of the world, linking repentance with a longing for true and lasting joy in Christ. Children receive special attention through an invitation to Children's Chapel and a prayer for parents and guardians to raise them in justice, truth, and goodness, underscoring the congregation’s responsibility to nurture the next generation.

The congregation affirms belief in the Nicene Creed, confesses sin, and shares the peace, moving from corporate confession into communal life marked by celebration — birthdays and blessings are joined to the worship life. Practical parish life follows: announcements highlight Easter preparations, an Easter egg hunt, a Holy Cow Bishop survey for diocesan discernment, a Holy Happy Hour, a campus workday with palm-cross folding, and youth-led Easter egg stuffing. These activities tie liturgical seasons to embodied service and community rhythms.

The Great Thanksgiving frames salvation as God’s costly, reconciling work in Christ. Scripture and tradition shape the Eucharistic prayer: the incarnation, Christ’s obedience to the cross, the institution narratives of bread and cup, and the memorial of redemption. The congregation proclaims the mystery of faith — Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again — then receives the sacrament as spiritual food for a life reoriented toward God. Post-communion prayer sends the people back into the world with requests for strength and courage to love and serve with singleness of heart.

The dismissal ties these threads together: those who have shared in the one bread and cup go forth as one body to bear holy gifts into daily life. The service concludes with a blessing invoking the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to keep hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, committing the community to worship, formation, and faithful action in the days ahead.

Key Takeaways

1. God orders unruly wills and affections Prayer frames the Christian life as a reordering of desire, not mere duty. True spiritual change reshapes longings so that love for God becomes the magnet for choices. This reorientation withstands the swift changes of the world by fixing the heart where genuine joy resides. [10:40]
2. Children shape the church's worship life Inviting children into distinct liturgical spaces affirms their role in the body of Christ and trains communal patterns of faith. Teaching justice, truth, and goodness to children forms a future church grounded in discipleship rather than mere preservation. Worship that intentionally includes young people cultivates patience, stewardship, and a long view of faithfulness. [11:09]
3. The Eucharist anchors redeemed living The Great Thanksgiving links incarnation, cross, and resurrection to present nourishment and moral formation. Receiving the bread and cup compels a life no longer lived for self but in service and gratitude, rooted in remembered and present realities of Christ’s saving work. Communion therefore shapes ethics as well as devotion, uniting worship and witness. [65:05]
4. Stewardship of holy seasons matters Preparing for Easter with shared practices — potluck, egg hunts, palm-folding, and survey participation — connects liturgical time to congregational responsibility. Season-specific work trains attention, invites generosity, and mobilizes communal gifts toward formation and outreach. Keeping the church’s calendar faithfully cultivates identity, readiness, and shared mission. [52:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:25] - Call to Worship & Confession
[10:40] - Collect: Ordering Our Desires
[11:09] - Children's Chapel Invitation & Prayer
[40:09] - Nicene Creed & Affirmation of Faith
[49:09] - Peace, Celebrations, and Blessings
[52:48] - Announcements: Easter & Parish Life
[62:47] - Great Thanksgiving Begins
[65:05] - Institution of the Eucharist
[81:25] - Sending, Blessing, and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Based on the sermon summary provided, the service was a liturgical journey through the Book of Common Prayer's Holy Eucharist, drawing from its collective prayers, creeds, and sacramental theology rather than a single preaching text. Therefore, the Bible reading section focuses on key scriptural themes that undergirded the entire service.

Bible Reading
* Philippians 4:7-8 (ESV): And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
* 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV): For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
* Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV): I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Observation questions

The opening prayer asks God to do what specifically with our "unruly wills and affections"? [10:40]
According to the prayer for children, what three things are we to teach them to love? [11:09]
What is the three-part proclamation, known as the mystery of faith, that follows the words of institution during the Eucharist? [01:05:36]
The post-communion prayer asks God to send us into the world with what specific attributes for loving and serving? [01:20:13]

Interpretation questions

What does it mean for a heart to be "fixed where true joys are to be found" amidst the world's swift changes? [10:40] How does this connect to the idea of reordering our desires?
How does inviting children into distinct liturgical spaces and teaching them to love what is just, true, and good shape the entire community's faith, not just the children's? [11:09]
The Eucharist is described as "spiritual food for a life reoriented toward God." [01:05:05] In what ways does partaking in Communion compel a life no longer lived for self?
The dismissal states that those who share the one bread and cup become one body. How do practical, shared activities like a workday or preparing for a holiday (like Easter) train a community to live into this unity? [52:48]

Application questions

Where in your own life do you most feel the tension between your "unruly" desires and what God commands? [10:40] What is one practical step you could take this week to ask for grace to love what He loves?
The prayer for parents asks for "calm strength and patient wisdom." [11:09] Whether you are a parent, grandparent, or part of the church family, how can you actively help teach the next generation to love what is just, true, and good? What would that involvement look like for you?
Receiving the bread and cup is meant to shape our ethics as well as our devotion. [01:05:05] As you go into your daily work and relationships this week, what is one specific situation where you can choose to live for Christ and others instead of for yourself, fueled by the memory of Christ's sacrifice?
The service connected preparing for Easter with shared practices and responsibilities. [52:48] How does faithfully keeping the church’s calendar with others—through service, celebration, or study—cultivate a stronger sense of shared identity and mission in your own life?
The post-communion prayer asks for strength and courage to love and serve with "singleness of heart." [01:20:13] What typically divides your heart and makes your service feel complicated or double-minded? What would it look like to approach one act of service this week with a singular focus on glorifying God?

Sermon Clips

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. [01:04:25] (29 seconds) #GraceAndReconciliation