Month: April 2022

May 18, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Acts 11.1-18 —Peter explains to the Jerusalem church his vision, and the gift of the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles.
Psalm 148 — Praise God! All Creation and all manner of people praise God!

Revelation 21.1-6 — A new heaven and a new earth. God dwells with the people. “I am making all things new.” To the thirsty I will give water from the spring of life.

John 13.31-35 — A new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Preaching Thoughts

Acts
        Discipleship is a journey of newness and change, inviting us into a new future. Jesus and his followers were Jews.The Jesus-followers in Jerusalem would have good reason to question Peter’s inclusion of Gentiles. But the heart of Jesus’ message is God’s love for everybody, without exception, condition or limitation. Jesus was known for offering healing, mercy and companionship to people outside the accepted crowd. And now that expansive, inclusive love continues after his dearth. The Holy Spirit transcends religious boundaries. Christian faith is not about belonging to a certain group, but in a sense the opposite: sharing God’s expansive love across all divisions, including those not in “our group.”
       The story of Peter’s vision and visit to Cornelius is specifically about extending grace to outsiders; it is also a parable about allowing God to change us, even to change our religion. We tend to follow our own assumptions and habits, and slip out of tune with Jesus. Like a good musician we need continually to listen up, tune up, and get back in harmony with Jesus. Of course every movement claims to be “getting back to the true faith.” How do we discern? Jesus tells us: true faith is love.

Revelation
       We are attracted to the idea of a new world, re-made by God. In this beautiful but very messed up world we stake our hope on that. But remember that inherent in this promise is not just that everything else is made new: you are, too. The early followers of Jesus had to adapt to a new world, the world of gentile faith, and in the process they themselves had to change. Letting go of our favorite old stuff is hard, sometimes even heart-breaking. But don’t worry: God will wipe away every tear.

John
       True faith is love. Period. Jews have ten commandments; we have one. Jesus defines discipleship not by belief or doctrine, but by love, and nothing else. This is how we discern faith, and religious movements, and every bit of life: it is loving, or not? Is our love unconditional, or is it diluted with other considerations, conditions, limitations? We ask of every thought and action: is it kindness, or selfishness? It is love, or some substitute?
       The commandment is not merely the Golden Rule, to love as we wish to be loved, but to love as Jesus (and God) have actually loved us. With a humble, self-giving, That’s an even higher standard! But the love we are to have for others is not something we have to generate in our feeble, fickle hearts—the love is given to us. We love as we have been loved. All we do is pass it on.

Call to Worship

1. [Also may be used as a Collect or general prayer.]
Leader: God of love, you create us in love.
All: You create us so that you may love us,
Christ, you come to us in love and show us how to love.
You send us into the world to love.
Holy Spirit, you fill us with your love so that it is your love, not ours
with which we love the world.
Renew your love in us, that we may love as you have loved us.

2.
Leader: Love, mystery of love, you create us!All: Love, gift of love, you enfold us!
Love, power of love, you call us!
Love, beauty of love, you fill us!
Holy Trinity—Lover, Beloved and the Love that flows—we adore you.
We worship you. Alleluia!

3. [Also may be used as a Collect or general prayer.]
Leader: Gracious God, in love you have created us.
All: In love you have called us your own.
In love you have made us your people,
and called us to bear your love to the world.
In love you have come among us in Christ, healing and forgiving.
In love you have raised us out of our old lives into new life.
You give us life and fill us with your love.
Bless us that we may witness your love, be changed by it,
and go into the world bearing love, and love alone,
in the name of Christ, to your praise and glory. Amen.

4.
Leader: O Love, you have created us.
All: Fulfill your love in us.
O Love, you have called us by name and taken us as your own.
Fulfill your love in us.
O love, you have healed us and called us to join you in the healing of all Creation.
Fulfill your love in us.
O Love, you give us your Spirit and fill us with your presence.
Fulfill your love in us.
O Love, be our life, our breath, our purpose and our only hope.
Alleluia! Come, Beloved, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: O, God of love, how perfectly you love us!
All: O Christ, how deeply you love us!
Holy Spirit, how beautifully you love us!
O Love, take our hearts make make them yours.
We adore you. We love you. We worship you. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, you are love itself. Where love is, there you are. In our thirst for your love, speak your love to us, renew your love in us, and let your love flow through us for the sake of all the world, in the spirit and the company of Christ. Amen.

2.Loving God, we are led by many desires, commanded by many voices, torn by many forces. Speak your Word to us; give us your one command, that our souls may be still, that our hearts may be one, that our minds may be clear, that our strength may be yours. Bring us to right desire, right thought, and right action. Speak to us, God, for we are hungry for your Word. Amen.

3.
God of love, in all that changes, you do not change. So we turn to you. Amidst all that passes, you remain steadfast, and so we turn to you. Despite all that is unknown and unfamiliar, you speak to us. So we turn to you. We turn our ears to hear your voice, our hearts to receive your love, our lives to reflect your light. Speak your Word to us God, for we turn to you. Amen.

4.
God of grace, your love changes everything. We praise you for your love that changes the world. We give thanks for those ways we have experienced your love that has changed our lives. And we offer ourselves to be changed by your love, into people of deep, faithful, beautiful love. Love us again, God, and make us new. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Holy Lover,
your love is deep and wide.
With silent hearts we open ourselves
to your presence,
to receive your love,
to become your love.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving.
By the grace that we know in Christ,
receive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.

2.
God of love, we confess we put limits on our love, and put some people beyond the bounds of our compassion. Forgive our judgments, heal our fear, and renew in us your perfect love that includes everyone without exception. Give us, O God, Christ’s heart of love.

2.
Gracious God, shine the light of your holy presence, your living Word, into our hearts. By the light of your grace, forgive our sin, heal the wounds of falsehood in this world, rid our minds of the darkness of our fears and desires, and make us radiate your love. We pray in the spirit of Christ, who is our way, our truth, and our life.

Readings

from Revelation 21.1-6

Leader: I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne:
All: See, the home of God is among us. God will dwell with us.
We will be God’s peoples, and God in person will be with us;
God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”
These words are trustworthy and true.
Then the One spoke to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
“To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”
Alleluia!


2.
                        To love

Infinite Love,
you who love me into being each moment,
let me this day flow freely with that love,
for it is not my love I give but yours.
I seek in all and above all to love,
to appreciate, to forgive,
to encourage, to comfort,
to thank, to assist, to bless.
May I choose to be loving
rather than to be right,
to be gentle rather than tough,
to be curious rather than judging,
to meet all with reverence and humility and delight.
And with those whom I cannot love easily,
let me hold and protect with all my being
room for you to love them, even through me.
O Spirit of Love, you who love me infinitely and perfectly,
breathe your love in me.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

           We entrust ourselves to God, Divine Lover and Maker of all. We are created by love, for love, and we give thanks.
          We entrust ourselves to Jesus, God’s Anointed One, who embodied God’s love in its fullest. His love has healed us and fed us, taught us and guided us, freed us and raised us to new life, and we give thanks. His love defied all barriers of power and status, of privilege and exclusion, and for that he was crucified. But by the eternal power of love Christ was raised from the dead, and we give thanks.
        We entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, by whose power we care and forgive, heal and bless. This is the Spirit that renews our hearts, that gives us new life, that empowers us to live for justice and healing, in the name of Christ. We pray that by that Spirit we may love as we have been loved, for the sake of the whole world. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively or by the presiding leader(s) alone. The responses (Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation & Amen) may be said or sung.]
1.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you God, for you create us out of love, for love.
You claim us as your Beloved, and promise to be our God.
You save us from all that oppresses, and set us free,
You surround us with this teeming earth, feeding us with your love.
And so with the saints and all Creation we sing your praise.
     (Sanctus)

Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved the unlovely and welcomed the rejected.
He taught a love that ruined all social barriers, and for that he was crucified.
But you raised him from the dead, for love cannot be extinguished.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)*

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
     (Memorial Acclamation)

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
In this feast we take in again all the ways you have loved us,
and poured out yourself for us, and into us.
Fill us with your love to overflowing,
that we may always love as you have loved us. (Amen.)

2.
Pastor: God, in love you create us.
All: In love you claim us.
In love you promise to be with us always; and you are.
When we wander, you follow. When we are stuck you set us free.
You judge the forces of oppression and lead us toward justice,
toward a New Jerusalem in which everyone is Beloved.
As a sign of that hope you invite us to your table.
At this table all are welcome, and all are beloved,
where we are all young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, male and female,
guilty and innocent, whole and broken, without distinction or judgment.
Therefore, with all Creation, we praise you with love and delight.
[Sanctus]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, who loved us as you love us.
In love he taught and healed, he gathered the outcast, he loved the unlovely.
In love he established a new realm; he built a new city.
In love, even in death, he gave us his Spirit, so that we might love as he loved.
[The Blessing and Covenant….] *

“Do this,” he said, “in remembrance of me.”
And so, remembering your loving, mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves with praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery at the heart of our faith:

[Memorial Acclamation]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may feast on your love, and it will become part of us,
so that your love is the love with which we love all people,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ.
[Amen]
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer Of dedication / Sending

Gracious God, you have loved us perfectly in your Son Jesus Christ. Stir up a spirit of gratitude in our hearts, that we may respond in faith. We give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will, for the love of all people, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have fed us with your love; your grace is now a part of us. You have made us new. Send out to love as you have loved us, for the sake of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. As you have loved us, so may we love one another, and all your children. Send us into the world, unafraid of all that is new and changing, steadfast in love and faithfulness, in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

See all songs with “Easter” or “Love” tags, but especially these:

Communion Songs for Easter set to familiar tunes
Eight songs of invitation to the table, set to these melodies:
All Creatures of Our God and King,
Infant Holy, Be Thou My Vision,
The Gift of Love / Water Is Wide,
Morning Has Broken, Fairest Lord Jesus.


Create Us Now    (Tune: Gift of Love/ The Water Is Wide)

Creating God, you breathe your Word
and new each day create the world;
your light you sing, your love you give;
you breathe in us, and so we live.

Creating God, you gather grain
from scattered fields, baptized by rain;
raised up in love, from death released,
it brings forth grace that spreads a feast.

Above the meadows of our hearts
your rising sun your love imparts.
Remade in love, raised from the dead,
Make us your wine, your living bread.

With our dear Christ, we, too, have died,
like seeds once sown and multiplied.
Now raise us up from death anew.
Create us now, dear God, in you.


Fulfill Your Love In Me       (Original song)

Refrain:
Fulfill your love in me, O Loving Spirit,
fulfill your love in me, O Heart of Love.

Verses:
Speak the name Beloved in my deepest soul.
Hold me in your heart, your gentle loving.

Heal me with your mercy and your tenderness.
Bring to life the grace in me to love you.

Give me grace to love my neighbor as myself,
freely, with the love with which you love me.


Like the sun rising      (Tune Morning Has Broken)

Christ, we surrender all of our living
into your tender, merciful grace
Baptized in you, we join in your dying,
and rising, too, in your life’s embrace.

Christ, you are living in us in mercy,
faithfully giving life that is true.
Like the sun rising, fresh every morning,
free and surprising, we are made new.

Great Holy Spirit, live in us daily,
free from the fear that once bound us in,
free now to love our neighbors with courage,
rising above our death and our sin.

Blest and forgiven and resurrected,
set free for living by grace alone,
may we live lives of gentle compassion,
with the same light that in you has shone.


Love Will Bear Us Over      (Tune: HOLY MANNA)

When our world is changing ‘round us and we long for good old days,
what that lasts will bear us over to new earth, new heaven, new ways?
Love will lead us when the path is unfamiliar, come what may:
set our heart to love our neighbors and our feet will find the way.

Christ gives us a new commandment: “Share the love that you’ve been given.”
When we do we’re resurrected, entering new earth and heaven.
When we love our neighbor more than caring for what used to be,
then our love will bear us over, then our love will set us free.

May 4, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Revelation 5.11-14 — A vision of millions of angels singing praise to God and to Christ.

Psalm 30 — A song of thanksgiving to God, who has rescued the author from death. “God’s anger is but a moment; God’s grace is for a lifetime.”

Acts 9.1-20 — Saul’s awakening on the road to Damascus.

John 21. 1-19 —The risen Jesus appears to the disciples, directs an abundant catch of fish, feeds them breakfast, commands them to feed his sheep, and says, “Follow me.”

Preaching Thoughts

Acts
         I avoid calling this story Saul’s “Conversion.” That label lends itself to categorization by which people too easily exclude themselves or others. It was an awakening, which any of us can and should experience all the time. The radical nature of it is not just that Saul has a vision of Jesus, but that he has a vision of his own life: in the shock of recognition—both his guilt and his forgiveness— he is changed. And he sees that the very people he’s persecuting are the ones in whom God is most fully present—and he is invited to be among them. If Christ is the Crucified One, then no matter how righteous we think our cause, Christ is present in whoever it is that we judge, exclude, marginalize or oppress, whoever we think of as the ”other.” That’s a lot more likely to “convert” us than a dramatic (and unlikely) vision of Jesus.
         By the way, let this story live in mystery. Explaining it as a scientific fact will only get you tangled up in irrelevant things. There are several versions of the tale, and they differ. For instance here “Those traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one” (v. 9). In the version in Acts 22.9 Paul says “those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice.” In the version in Acts 26.12-18 they all fall to the ground… Let it be a story about awakening, not about special effects.
         Oh, also by the way—there was no horse. It was in Caravaggio’s painting, not in the Bible. (Do you see how the faith was taught through art? We all think there was a horse, because we saw it. In the painting.)

John
       There are three scenes in the Gospel reading. (There’s a fourth, about the beloved disciple, not included in today’s lectionary reading.) Each is a rich vein of ore from which to pick a gem of a sermon. Using your imagination to find yourself in the story helps you locate your gems.
       Scene 1: The Catch. (Want to follow Jesus? There’s a catch.) I imagine the disciples’ discouragement. I can feel it when I think of the church’s “golden days” which seem now past. I imagine their sense of loss, pointlessness, grief. They go back to what they know, back to the way it was. (Don’t we always?) Of course it doesn’t really work. Jesus stands on the shore watching. (He’s always there, watching.) They don’t recognize him. Nobody does, at first. I imagine that’s because he’s changed. He calls them children. I imagine that hauls them (as in a net) out of their despairing, responsible adulthood. They’re in charge, accountable to produce results, obligated to justify themselves. How jarring to be called a kid.
       Jesus tells them to change their ways: cast their net on the other side. Again—how jarring to be told how to live your life. But look what it produces! Maybe Jesus knows more than we do about the rich gifts in our lives. And about the fruits of transformation. Now the beloved disciple recognizes Jesus—not by looking at him more closely, but by observing his life-giving power. Peter leaps into the baptismal sea, in love and service to his Chief. Peter, once beckoned to get out of the boat and walk on water to Jesus, now is quick to leap, and happy to simply swim toward his Beloved.
       Nobody knows why there are 153 fish. The number of members of John’s community? Churches in the area? A mystery. Though there are so many, the net is not torn. Even growth and success can be a stressor. But even as the community spreads and grows it stays connected. The net holds.

       Scene 2: Eucharist on the beach. Once again Jesus “took and gave” bread. Our Eucharist is not just the Last Supper; it’s the First Breakfast, too—and the feeding of the 5000, and all the other food and drink Jesus shares. The food for the feast is offered by Peter and yet it’s really food that was given by Jesus first. The food we offer in the Eucharist is actually from God. Being so closely associated with the Last Supper, communion has taken on the sense of being about the cross. It is, of course, but now, with the First breakfast, we see the Eucharist is also, maybe even primarily, about resurrection. Jesus has been raised to a new life. The disciples have too. In his net of grace Jesus has hauled them out of the deep dark sea of their failure and guilt (are their empty nets a symbol of their empty lives, their unfruitful faith, their loss?). In this meal they are forgiven, accepted, reassured, empowered. They receive new lives, new hope. Eucharist is a celebration of the mystery that though the cross is ahead of us, it’s also behind us. In Christ we’ve already been raised.

      Scene 3: Peter, Peter, Peter. Maybe Jesus’ asking Peter three times is re-instating him after he denies Jesus three times. But Peter doesn’t feel restored. He’s “hurt.” Remember, John wrote his gospel around the end of the first century, when Peter was already seen as the first pope. John is cutting the pope down to size! There is no rank, no better or worse Christian, there’s just loving Jesus and serving others in his name.
       Jesus says, “Feed my lambs.” In the Greek it’s like “be grazing my lambkins.” Very tender. Then “Tend my sheep.” (Literally “shepherd my sheep.”) Like, don’t just feed them, take them somewhere. And then “Feed my sheep.” There’s a sense of both nourishment and mission, spiritual growth and generous service, journey inward and journey outward.
       Then comes Jesus’ koan about being led where you don’t choose to go. Something like Paul’s “giving up childish things” in 1 Cor. 13. “When you grow old” could mean when you get aged and feeble. But it can also just mean when you mature, when you grow up. Maybe part of growing up is letting go of our childish “I want to do it myself” urge: allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Christ is risen.
All:Christ is risen in deed!
Risen Christ, you come to us,
hidden and unrecognized, and you bless us.
We greet you with awe and wonder.
You give us your gifts, and nourish our souls.
We welcome you with gratitude and joy.
You give us the spirit of your peace, and call us to love.
We serve you with faith and hope. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Crucified love, risen love, you walk among us.
All: Loving God, heartbroken God, you pour yourself out to us.
Risen Christ, Beckoning Christ, you work miracles among us.
Loving Christ, tender Christ, you feed us.
Holy Spirit, Living Spirit, you come to us.
Holy Spirit, life-giving Spirit, you call us to follow.
We are yours. We worship you. Alleluia!

3. (Revelation 5.11-14)
Leader: I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice:
All: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and might and honor and glory and blessing!
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor
and glory and might forever and ever!
And the four living creatures cried out:
Amen!
And the elders fell down and worshiped.

4.
Leader: Christ is risen!
All:Christ is risen indeed!
Creator God, we praise you!
Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
Eternal God, you alone are holy, and we worship you.
By the light of Christ, rising from the grave in victory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts, shine upon us with mercy,
guide us in the ways of peace, and lead us to your heart.
We have died with Christ. We are raised with Christ.
Receive our old ways of living and grant us new life,
that we may serve you in love, all of our days.
You who grant your disciples a miraculous catch of fish,
grant us your grace that we may worship you.
Alleluia! Bless us, that we may feed your sheep. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: God of love, by your grace
the disciples who thought they were empty handed were given great gifts.
All: By your love Saul who thought he was persecuting by your will
saw your presence among the persecuted.
Open our eyes, change our hearts, and lead us in new directions.
Give us your Spirit to follow Jesus,
to proclaim your Word, to feed your sheep. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, you have raised Christ from the dead, yet we don’t recognize the Beloved among us. Speak to us and awaken our hearts. Open our eyes to see your presence, to hear your call, and to follow you, in the power of your Spirit of love. Amen.

2.
Life-giving God, the Risen Christ came to the grief-stricken disciples and fed them, taught them, and called them. You are present among us now; speak your Word to us, feed us with your grace, and call us again into the ministry of loving service, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.

3.
Jesus, our risen Savior, you bring new life to us, and ask us to share it with others. Help us realize the presence of your Spirit in us, and live as you have lived. In your goodness, teach, heal, forgive and give new life to others through us, to the glory of God. Amen.

4.
Loving One, though our love often fails, We do love you. Give us your spirit to feed your lambs. Though our discipleship often falters, you give us miraculous gifs to share. Give us faith to tend your sheep. Though we have our own hopes and wants, lead us by your Spirit to feed your sheep, in the name and the company of Jesus. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, the risen Christ spoke to Peter by the lakeshore, and to Saul on his way to Damascus. You called them to serve, and changed their lives. Speak to us now; transform us by your Word, and call us into your service. Bless us with open hearts and minds, that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today. Amen.

6.
Holy One, come to us. Like Saul we go about our business, like the disciples we stick to the familiar, not realizing what we are doing—until you reveal yourself. Shine your light on us now; come to us, awaken us, speak to us, and change our hearts. Amen.

7.
Christ, though our nights be dark, you are near, and your blessing awakens us. Though our boats be empty, a mysterious abundance billows beneath us. You feed us your Word of grace; you lead us to life that we do not design. Help us to listen, and to love you. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(Suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

1.
Jesus, Beloved,
we sit in the discouraged boat of our lives,
with the empty baskets of our faith.
Yet your mystery shimmers below the surface.
Trusting in your grace
we lower the nets of prayer,
open to what you provide.

2.
Loving One,
like the disciples we think we are empty-handed;
but you draw up gifts from the depths.
Like Saul we judge other;
but you are among those we judge.
Open our eyes to see you anew,
and to receive your gifts.

Prayer of Confession

God we confess that like Saul we think we know.
We think we are right.
Shine the light of your love on us,
that we may see where we have excluded you.
Bring us to our knees
that we may be changed.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

[From Colossians 3.1-16]

Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
We set our minds on higher things, not on worldly things,
for we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, is revealed,
you also will be revealed with Christ in glory.
As God’s beloved we clothe ourselves in love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which you were called in one body.
May the word of Christ dwell richly in us.
With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God.

Eucharistic Prayer

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively or by the presiding leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Eternal Creator, Unfailing Liberator, Steadfast Lover, we thank you.
Like then sun rising on the sea you shine on us with beauty and hope.
When we think we are alone you are with us.
When we think we are empty handed you provide nets full of fish.
You feed us; you call us your children; you set us free from fear and despair.
You give us bountiful gifts, and we thank you.
You set this table before us and invite us to feast with you
in the morning light of resurrection.
So we come to your table, with all your Beloved singing your praise.
     (Sanctus)

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He fed the hungry and healed the broken.
He suffered with us and for us.
In Christ you are faithful to us;
you walk through death to be with us, in love and blessing.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *

As he did at that table, and so many other tines,
Jesus did again on the seashore:
he took bread, blessed it, and gave it to this friends.
We feast on the miracle of your presence.
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember Christ’s death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
     (Memorial Acclamation)

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
taken—drawn up in the net of your grace,
blessed—awakened by the light of your love,
broken—stripped of all but our love for you,
and given to the world,
in the resurrecting power of your Spirit.
(Amen.)

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

1.
Gracious God, we give you our gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. You have come to us; you have loved us; you have called us; you have brought forth our gifts. We are ready now to go where you send us. Wrap the belt of your Word around us and lead us, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Holy One, blessed by your presence and fed by your love, we give you thanks. You have drawn up from the depths of mystery gifts we did not know we have. Send us now in the power of those gifts to feed your sheep, to tend your Beloved, to live for the well-being of all who long for life, in the name and the Spirit and the presence of the risen Christ. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have come to us in Christ, and fed us with your love. You have filled us with your Spirit, so that we might embody your love for others. Send us into the world now and help us to feed your sheep, to tend your lambs, to care for your beloved ones. May our lives be nourishing to the poor, in the power of your Holy Spirit and the name of Christ, who is risen in us. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have fed us with grace that can’t be predicted, with abundance that is hidden until it is received. Send us into the world now to follow Christ, to feed your sheep, to embody your love, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Communion Songs for Easter set to familiar tunes
Eight songs of invitation to the table, set to these melodies:
All Creatures of Our God and King,
Infant Holy, Be Thou My Vision,
The Gift of Love / Water Is Wide,
Morning Has Broken, Fairest Lord Jesus.

Easter Eucharistic Responses
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen set to:
All Things Bright and Beautiful (Includes Preface)
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Fairest Lord Jesus
Morning Has Broken
Now the Green Blade Rises


Come, Risen Christ     (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Come, risen Christ, to us. Come into our daily lives.
Come in our labors and in our rest.
Walk with us by our side. Show us where grace may hide.
Become our host, who once was guest.

Come, risen Christ, to us. Come into our fear and pain.
Come, speak to us your word of peace.
Nourish our weakened hearts. Feed us the food of grace.
From guilt and anguish grant release.

Come, risen Christ, to us. Lay your hand upon our hearts.
Draw us to follow. Our lives now use.
Call us your word to keep, love you and feed your sheep,
and bear your light where you shall choose.

The Feast of Resurrection
       Tune: W ZLOBIE LEZY (Infant Holy )
       or HOLY MANNA     or    ODE TO JOY (Joyful, Joyful)

Christ is risen! Alleluia! God, you raised him from the grave.
You are faithful, always loving, always just and strong to save.
All our sin and all our sorrow can’t begin to stop your grace:
Christ is present here among us, speaking with us face to face.

Christ, we meet you; Life, we greet you! Alleluias loud we sing.
You invite us to your table. To the feast our gifts we bring.
Bread is broken; hearts are mended; truth is spoken; wine is poured.
In our love and joyful sharing we behold you, Christ adored.

Holy Spirit, life eternal, gift of grace, all praise to you!
In this feast of resurrection raise us up to lives anew:
free, forgiving, deeply loving, gently living without fear,
Christ in us, alive, forever! Christ in us, your presence here!

Feed My Sheep     (Original song)

“Feed my sheep. Tend my lambs.
Do you love me? Reach your hands.
Bear your cross faithfully.
Give you life and follow me.

Sight restored,wounded healed,
God’s deep love is thus revealed.
God sent me: I send you,
love, my new commend, to do.

Serve the poor and the weak,
help them find their voice to speak.
Evil turned, mercy raised,
love and justice are my praise.

Peace be yours from this hour,
and the Holy Spirit’s power.
Raised from death, born anew,
live in me and I in you.”


Psalm 23      (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God is my shepherd; I have all I need. God
Makes me lie down in green pastures to feed.
By the still waters God gently will lead.
Love, you’re my shepherd. I have all I need.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I
fear not, for you are as close as my breath.
For you are with me, your staff and your rod
they are my comfort, my shepherd, my God.

You set my table before all my foes. You
pour out your blessing; my cup overflows.
Goodness shall be with me wherever I roam,
and I will live with you, my Heart, my Home.

We Take This Moment (Tune: Gift of Love)

      Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.
      And their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
                         — Luke 24. 30-31

We take this moment, Christ, with you:
for crucified and raised anew
you walk with us in all our pain.
Our hearts cry out for you again.

We bless this moment: it is dear,
for, hidden, you are with us here.
Our hearts reach out to touch your hand,
though we don’t always understand.

We break this moment open wide
and find your presence at our side.
Your warm light rises from within;
new life is waiting to begin.

We give this moment, God, to you:
that in our living you shine through,
that we may wonder, serve and bless,
that you may rise, O Christ, in us.

April 27, 2025

Lectionary Texts

During the Easter season a reading from the book of Acts replaces the Hebrew Bible reading.
Revelation 1. 4-8 — John’s greeting to the churches, a greeting from God and from Christ, who has set us free and made us a nation of priests who serve God, and who is coming again.

Acts 5. 27-32 — Authorities try to stop Jesus’ followers from preaching in his name, but the disciples say “We obey God, not human authority,” and they keep right on preaching.

Psalm 150 — Praise God with all the musical instruments (and all the other means) that we can imagine. Let everything that breathes praise God!

John 20.19-31 — The risen Jesus comes to the disciples and breathes his spirit into them. Thomas’ “unless I see…” and his encounter with Christ.

Preaching Thoughts

The Gospel reading comprises two scenes. The first is John’s Pentecost. Jesus breathes the Spirit on his followers (“spirit” and “breath” being the same word in Greek). This is what Jesus has returned for: not to prove anything, not to exalt in his victory over death, but to breathe his living spirit into the disciples. Now they are his risen body.

Thomas (the “Twin”) says he won’t believe unless he touches the wounds. Maybe that’s doubt. But maybe he’s saying, on behalf of all of us, that resurrection isn’t something you just think is true because someone said so; you believe it because you’ve experienced it. We don’t want to hear beliefs about resurrection; we want to see evidence of resurrection. When he does see Jesus, what convinces him is not the wounds (he never does touch them) but simply the overwhelming (and I assume loving) presence of Jesus. Thomas represents all those to whom we want to proclaim resurrection. Words alone won’t suffice.

We love happy endings. But Thomas is holding resurrection to a higher standard: resurrection is not just bouncing back; it’s radical transformation from something that is truly dead—you can see the wounds—to something that is truly alive. Thomas wants to see and touch the wounds. He wants to know not just that Jesus is OK after all, but that the one who is alive and whole is indeed the one who suffered and died. That the one who stands before him with forgiveness is the very one he denied and abandoned. (Remember when Jesus set out to Lazarus’ tomb, despite a contract out on him, and Thomas said “Let us go die with him.” But Thomas didn’t die with him. He ran away.) Now, in the wounds, and the Living One who bears them, he needs to see his own sin forgiven. As do we. Thomas is our twin.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Christ is risen indeed!
God of Love, you have passed through our sin and sorrow,
died of our wounds, lain in our grave.
And you have risen, full of life.
You have entered our darkness,
and you have made the darkness one with the light.
Now even the darkness shines with your glory.
All of life is raised, new, and we with it,
praising you with new voices, new hearts, new lives. Alleluia!

2. [Psalm 150 ]
Leader: Praise the Holy One! Praise God in the sanctuary;
People: God, we praise you in the mighty heavens!
We praise you for your mighty deeds, and for your surpassing greatness!
We praise you with trumpet sound; we praise you with lute and harp!
We praise you with tambourine and dance; we praise you with strings and pipe!
We praise you with clanging cymbals; we praise you with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise God!
Praise God!

3.
Leader: Loving God, this is the day that you are making.
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
You have raised Christ from the grave and overcome death.
You have defeated the power of evil and oppression.
We long for your presence, and we open ourselves to your Spirit.
Christ, our living Chief, you are with us, and we give you thanks.
We look for signs of your rising;
and we live in a world that longs for your living presence.
Breathe your Spirit into us, and raise us to new life,
that we may be living evidence of your resurrection,
the Body of your risen Christ. Amen.

4.
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: Christ is risen indeed!
Creator God, we praise you!
Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
Alleluia! We have seen the Risen Christ! Alleluia!
You alone are holy, O God, and so we worship you.
You have brought Christ up out of the grave.
You have brought life out of death, hope out of despair.
We have seen your victory in our lives;
we have beheld your Risen Christ among us
For what we have seen, we give thanks.
For what is yet to come, we give you our hearts.
We worship you, and give you ourselves. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of new life, your grace is always beyond our grasp. But we want to see you, to feel your presence. Open the eyes of our hearts to see you, present for us. Open the ears of our hearts to hear you speak your Word to us, now and always, through the living Christ. Amen.

2.
Resurrecting God,
when the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples,
he offered them signs of peace,
and breathed his spirit on them.
Breathe your Spirit into us,
and grant us seeing hearts,
that we may live as your faithful disciples,
and offer peace and healing in a broken world. Amen.

3.
O God, you make every moment new. You come through the locked doors of our habituated lives, and reveal yourself in Jesus, who bring us his peace. May we continually pass with him from death to life, and embody his love and forgiveness.May the wounded but risen Christ, who is present with us, empower us to be present with this wounded world, by the grace of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, your risen Christ appeared to the disciples and spoke to them. Pass through the locked doors of our fears and our doubts, our need to control and understand. Be present with us; speak to us; open our hearts and minds, that we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today, and give you our hearts. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

1.
Living God,
the doors of our hearts are locked.
Come through them,
grace us with your loving presence,
breathe your Spirit into us,
and grant us your peace.

2.
God of life,
like Thomas we want to see,
we want to touch.
Open our hearts
to know your presence,
to trust your grace.

Prayer of Confession

God we confess our trust in you is broken
by our fears and cynicism,
by our need to control and understand,
by our attachment to comfort and security.
In the wounds of Christ touch us,
soften our hearts, and turn our spirits toward you,
that in us Christ may rise anew, living and whole.

Reading

1. [May be used as an affirmation or creed.]
Revelation 1.4-8

Leader: Grace to you and peace
from the One who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits who are before the divine throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of all earthly rulers.
All: To Christ who loves us
and in his dying freed us from our sins
and made us to be a nation of priests serving our God and Creator,
to Christ be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! Christ is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see, even those who pierced Jesus on the cross;
and for Christ all the tribes of the earth will mourn . So it is to be. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says God,
who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Come, risen Christ, come Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace.
Alleluia!

Eucharistic Prayer

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively by leader(s) and congregation, or by the presiding leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God of love, you create all things in your grace.
You bring light out of darkness and life out of death.
You bring people out of slavery, and Christ out of the grave.
Through the locked doors of prisons you set the captives free.
Through the locked doors of our fears
you come with forgiveness and peace.
We rejoice in your presence that we cannot understand,
your love that we cannot comprehend.
So we feast in joy beyond words, singing your praise with all Creation:

     (Sanctus)

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, crucified and yet risen,
wounded and yet forgiving,
having passed through death, yet bearing peace.
He passed through the walls of people’s fears and prejudice
and brought them truth and healing.
He passed through the disciples’ closed doors
and brought them love and peace.
He touched the wounds of others,
and now in broken bread we touch his wounds.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
     (Memorial Acclamation)

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
that we may touch the world’s wounds with healing,
that we may offer peace and forgiveness,
that a world yearning for your presence
may behold it in us and our love,
by the power of your Holy Spirit
and the presence of your living Christ in us,
for your glory and the for the healing of the world.
(Amen.)

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

1.
Gracious God, you have breathed your Spirit into us. Now into this world, that is hungry for your peace, send us as signs of your living presence. Into this world that is doubtful of your love, send us as vessels of your grace. May your love pass through the locked doors of our world and reach the hearts of those who hunger for your grace. Send us in your Spirit as bearers of your healing light, in the name and Spirit of Christ.

2.
Gracious God, there are many people in this world who have not experienced your love, who have no reason to hope, who have not seen the risen Christ. Use us, we pray, to bring your love to them. We give you our lives, symbolized in our gifts, with which to make resurrection real in this world, in the name of Christ. Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In our hunger for you, you come to us. You touch us with your presence and feed us with your flesh. Now throw open the doors we have locked around us, and send us, for the sake of others who hunger for you, as the Body of Christ. Amen.2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In the broken bread we have touched your wounds. In the cup poured out you have filled us. Send us into the world to touch the wounds of Christ in those who suffer, seeking always your life-giving presence. We go in the name and the Spirit of Christ, in the courage and compassion of Christ, in the loving company of the risen Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view on the Music page)

Communion Songs for Easter set to familiar tunes
Eight songs of invitation to the table, set to these melodies:
All Creatures of Our God and King,
Infant Holy, Be Thou My Vision,
The Gift of Love / Water Is Wide,
Morning Has Broken, Fairest Lord Jesus.

Easter Eucharistic Responses
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen set to:
All Things Bright and Beautiful (Includes Preface)
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Fairest Lord Jesus
Morning Has Broken
Now the Green Blade Rises

Risen (A communion song) (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)
[This song is included in Table Songs,
a collection of communion songs to familiar tunes.]

Blessed Lord Jesus, you laid down your life for us.
Risen from death, now you bid us dine.
Grateful, we bring our gifts, as we receive from you
your love poured out in bread and wine.

Risen Lord Jesus, make your presence known to us;
come in flesh we can see and feel.
In bread and wine and prayer, in those with whom we share,
be present in this holy meal.

Now as we share this meal give to us your Spirit.
Make us your Body, your living Word.
In our forgiveness, in lives that heal and bless
may this world know our risen Lord.


Come, Risen Christ   (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Come, risen Christ, to us. Come into our daily lives.
Come in our labors and in our rest.
Walk with us by our side. Show us where grace may hide.
Become our host, who once was guest.

Come, risen Christ, to us. Come into our fear and pain.
Come, speak to us your word of peace.
Nourish our weakened hearts. Feed us the food of grace.
From guilt and anguish grant release.

Come, risen Christ, to us. Lay your hand upon our hearts.
Draw us to follow. Our lives now use.
Call us your word to keep, love you and feed your sheep,
and bear your light where you shall choose.


Let Me Feel Your Wounds   (original song)

Risen Christ, let me feel your wounds
in the heart of the one whom I have crucified.
May I feel your forgiving and begin brand new living.
May I know your rising there.

Risen Christ, let me feel your wounds
in the hands of the lonely and despairing ones.
May I love with your caring. May I hope with your daring.
May I know your rising there.

Risen Christ, let me feel your wounds
in the feet of the poor and homeless wandering.
May I weep with their weeping. May I give without keeping.
May I know your rising there.

Risen Christ, let me feel your wounds
in the marks of our violence upon the world.
May I bless and heal. May your peace be my seal.
May I know your rising there.