FUNERAL SERVICE JOHN PALFREY AYER, JR.

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PRELUDE “Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 - II. Andante” Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven Carl "Bud" Mayer, piano Psalm-Prelude, Op. 32 - Psalm 34:6, “Lo, the Poor Crieth” Composer: Herbert Howells Kevin O'Malia, organ INTROIT “Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts” Z.58 Composer: Henry Purcell The Choir of St. George's All stand. I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors. Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray. O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant John, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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FIRST READING ECCLESIASTES 3:1-13 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.

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

PSALM 130

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SECOND READING COLOSSIANS 3:12-17 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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

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GOSPEL HYMN “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” HYMNAL 1982, #469 Composer: Calvin Hampton Tune: ST. HELENA Sing v. 1. THE HOLY GOSPEL LUKE 6:27-38 Gospeler The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. People Glory be to thee, O Lord.

‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’

Gospeler The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise be to thee, O Christ. Sing v.2-3 of the Gospel Hymn. HOMILY REV. GRANT MANSFIELD

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THE NICENE CREED Please 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, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. 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, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who 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 Deacon or other leader says In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

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Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant, we beseech thee, to thy whole Church in paradise and on earth, thy light and thy peace. Amen. Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection may die to sin and rise to newness of life, and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass with him to our joyful resurrection. Amen. Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith, that thy Holy Spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. Amen. Grant to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind. Amen. Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in thy fatherly care, that, casting all their grief on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love. Amen. Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that they may have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. Amen. Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. Amen. Grant us grace to entrust John to thy never-failing love; receive him into the arms of thy mercy, and remember him according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people. Amen. Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

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Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss in thy eternal and everlasting glory, and, with all thy saints, to receive the crown of life which thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. THE PEACE All stand. The Celebrant says to the people The peace of the Lord be always with you. And with thy spirit. Then the Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

THE HOLY COMMUNION THE OFFERTORY All gifts offered today will be given in memory of John to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Checks can be made out to St. George’s Episcopal Church, with “St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital” in the memo line.

To donate online, scan the QR code.

OFFERTORY ANTHEM “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” BWV 147 (tr. Robert Bridges) Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach The Choir of St. George's Richard Berggren, flugelhorn

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THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Eucharistic Prayer I Book of Common Prayer The people remain standing. The Celebrant sings

The Celebrant proceeds It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who rose victorious from the dead, and doth comfort us with the blessed hope of everlasting life; for to thy faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body doth lie in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and singing,

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SANCTUS S114

Composer: Healey Willan from Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena The people kneel or stand. Then the Celebrant continues All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again. For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of this; for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.” Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before thy divine

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Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same. And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood. And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion. And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him. And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord; By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen. And now, as our Savior Christ hath 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.

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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 The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept. AGNUS DEI S 158

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THE INVITATION TO COMMUNION The priest invites the people to receive. COMMUNION HYMN “Selig sind die Toten” SWV 391 From Geistliche Chormusik The St. George's Section Leaders Selig sind die Toten,

die in dem Herren sterben, von nun an.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth:

Ja, der Geist spricht: Sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit, und ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.

Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow after them.

POST COMMUNION PRAYER Almighty God, we thank thee that in thy great love thou hast fed us with the spiritual food and drink of the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, and hast given unto us a foretaste of thy heavenly banquet. Grant that this Sacrament may be unto us a comfort in affliction, and a pledge of our inheritance in that kingdom where there is no death, neither sorrow nor crying, but the fullness of joy with all thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. CLOSING HYMN “This Joyful Eastertide” HYMNAL 1982, #192 Composer: Charles Wood Tune: VRUECHTEN THE COMMENDATION Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so thou didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

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Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant John. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen. THE COMMITTAL All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He that raised up Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. Wherefore my heart is glad, and my spirit rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. Thou shalt show me the path of life; in thy presence is the fullness of joy, and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore. Then, while earth is cast upon the grave, the Celebrant says these words In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother John; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen. Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray. Celebrant and People 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,

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but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. O Almighty God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, who by a voice from heaven didst proclaim, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord: Multiply, we beseech thee, to those who rest in Jesus the manifold blessings of thy love, that the good work which thou didst begin in them may be made perfect unto the day of Jesus Christ. And of thy mercy, O heavenly Father, grant that we, who now serve thee on earth, may at last, together with them, be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord: And let light perpetual shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant: Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. BENEDICTION “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” Composer: Peter Lutkin The Choir of St. George's

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John Palfrey Ayer, Jr.

May 3, 1952 - February 13, 2021

On Saturday, February 13th 2021, John Palfery Ayer Jr. passed away at the age of 68. John was born in Boston MA to John Palfrey Ayer Sr. and Lee Zimmermann Ayer. From an early age, John pursued music. He graduated from the Hartt College of Music with a double major in Organ and Choral Conducting, received two master’s degrees in Organ and Sacred Music from Southern Methodist University, and pursued doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music. In 1985, John married Diane Meredith Belcher, with whom he had three sons. John was the founding director of the Memphis Boychoir and the Memphis Chamber Choir. His recordings with his Memphis choirs and their frequent performances received international acclaim. His other positions include Interim Organist-Choirmaster at Princeton’s Trinity Church, Director of Music & Organist at Readington Reformed Church in Readington, and later at St. George’s Episcopal Church, Maplewood. In 2008, John remarried Jennifer Jernstedt Ayer and the family grew with the addition of Jennifer’s three children. John was known throughout the years as a charismatic and exuberant director, an inspiring and sensitive organist, and a caring mentor of both young and adult musicians. He had an infectious laugh that brought joy to those who knew him. John had a life-long love for sailing, tennis, and spending time amongst family and friends in Wareham, MA. John was preceded in death by his mother Lee and father John. He is survived by his wife Jennifer, and their six children, David Krol, James Ayer, John Ayer III, Roger Krol, Gwendolyn Krol, Christian Ayer, his brother Nathaniel Ayer and sister Katherine Mann. Complete life celebration arrangements will be announced at a later date under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. Please check back on this page for updated information. You are encouraged to visit John’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to John’s favorite charity – St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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Saint George’s Vestry

Mike Martins – Senior Warden Dan Mitchell – Junior Warden

Jane Ungaro, Margo Hill, Aleeda Crawley Mark Graham, Sharon McSorley,

Tom Meyers-Normand, Rose Gilbert

News and feature articles from around our diocese http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/e-news

Saint George’s Episcopal Church

MINISTERS The People of St. George’s

The Rev. Grant Mansfield, Rector The Rev. Sun-Hwan Spriggs, Deacon

Megan Coiley, Minister of Music Ruth Deane, Parish Administrator

Saint George’s Episcopal Church

550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040 Phone: 973-762-1319

Email: parish-office@stgeorges-maplewood.org Web: www.stgeorges-maplewood.org

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