Worship Resources – Page 16

OT 9

Lectionary Texts

In 1 Kings 18.20-39, a scene with a good deal of satire, Elijah stages a showdown between Yahweh and the god Baal. Two sacrifices are prepared, one for each god. The real God will be the one who comes down and lights the fire under their sacrifice. Of course, Yahweh comes through, big time. Final score: Yahweh 1, Baal 0… or maybe even less than zero.

Psalm 96 is a song of praise to God and God’s righteous reign. All nations, and all Creation, join in praising God.

In Galatians 1.1-12 Paul begins his letter by scolding the church in Galatia for listening to people with a message that is not really the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Luke 7. 1-10 Jesus heals the beloved servant of a Roman soldier, who understands that Jesus has authority over the spirits just like he, the centurion, has authority over the soldiers he commands.

Preaching Thoughts

Call to Worship

Collect / Prayer of the Day

Prayer of Confession

Readings

Poetry by Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Response / Creed / Affirmation

Listening Prayer

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

Eucharistic Prayer

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

Prayer after Communion

God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.

Suggested Songs

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

Trinity Sunday

June 15, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Proverbs 8 —Wisdom cries out for us to live by her truth.

Psalm 8 —When I look at the heavens, what are humans, that you are mindful of them? How majestic is your name!

Romans 5.1-5 — Justified by faith, we have peace. Suffering… produces hope, because the Spirit pours God’s love into us.

John 16.12-15 — Jesus: “The Spirit will guide you in truth. All that God has is mine. The Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Preaching Thoughts

Proverbs
         Hebrew Wisdom Literature images God’s creative force as Sophia, the Spirit of Wisdom. From the beginning she helped in Creation, working “beside God like a master worker,” both giving and receiving delight in Creation. Don’t co-opt ancient Hebrew theology and portray Sophia as the Third Person of the Trinity. Our two faiths have two different ways of imagining it… but there’s only one Spirit. We can affirm that God’s spirit moves, creates, guides, and accompanies us.

The Trinity
         Following last week’s story of Pentecost and the disciple’s experience of the Holy Spirit, we celebrate the mystery of God as expressed in the image of the Holy Trinity: God as Creator (or “Father”) Son, and Holy Spirit, and celebrate the work of the Spirit among us. The Trinity is not a doctrine, a logical proposition you can either “agree” or “disagree” with. It’s an image, an icon, a symbol. It’s not two men and a bird; it’s about our three-dimensional experience of God. It’s a picture of God as Lover, Beloved and the Love that Flows Between—or Lover, Love, and Loveliness. It’s sort of like E=mc² in three dimensions. It’s an image of the whole world as a “thin place,” where the boundary is thin and porous between physical and spiritual, seen and unseen, finite and infinite.
         God is Love. God is Mother, Heavenly Lover, source of all Being: “Father.” God’s love is infinite and eternal. When God’s love exists as pure energy we call it “Spirit.” When God’s love is embodied, made finite and mortal, we call it “Christ,” God’s energy appearing as matter, Word made flesh. Jesus fully embodied the Christ, or embodied love, of God. He was not just Jesus of Nazareth, he was Jesus of Christ. He was Christ appearing as Jesus. We too are finite instances of the infinite love of God, just as Jesus was. God’s spirit, which we see in him, is in all of us.
         The Trinity reminds us God is more than we think. It’s a way to keep our images of God slippery so we can’t have just one image. God is This and the Opposite of This and None of the above: God is infinite and also embodied; divine and also human; Father also Son, and also Mother.
       The Trinity is an image of God’s three-dimensionality. God is the Eternal Creator, Infinite Source, Reality Itself, Ground of Being, beyond all knowing or understanding. Yet God also comes to us in real, revealed, embodied form, in spoken Word, as God does in Jesus. And God also is within and among us, neither beyond us nor coming to us but arising from within us as Spirit: whenever we love—that’s God.
         The Trinity is an image of God as relationship. And it’s also an image of God as unity. Even though there seem to be three persons, they are One. And we’re part of that One. “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (Jn. 14.20). And it’s an image of God as energy. With God one plus one equals three, because you also count the “plus.” God is the “proceeding” of Son from Father, and Spirit from both of them. (There’s a big controversy about whether the Spirit proceeds “from the Father” or “from the father and the Son.” The very nature of the Trinity is that they can’t be separated or distinguished. The Spirit proceeds from their relationship.) The Trinity is not a static organizational chart but an electric field, a living process, a loving flow, a divine dance. The Greek word for it is perichoresis (from peri, which means “around,” and chorein, which means “to give way” or “to make room”). The Trinity is God’s dancing-to-make-room-for-the-other.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Loving Father, Strong Mother, Infinite Creator,
you breathe us into life; you call us to wakefulness.
All: Holy One, Holy Three, you call us to worship.
Beloved Son, you walk with us, you heal us, you die and rise with us.
All: Holy One, Holy Three, you call us to worship.
Holy Spirit, you move in us and sing with love in us.
All: Holy One, Holy Three, you call us to worship.
You dance the dance of love, and we enter your dance with love. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Eternal Creator, you create us in the image of your love.
All: In awe and humility, we praise you.
Living Christ, you bear God’s love to us.
In gratitude and love, we thank you, and we follow you.
Holy Spirit, you breathe your love into our hearts.
By your grace, we bear your love to all people,
in the name of Christ, for the sake of the healing of the world. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: Creator God, Source and Mystery, beyond all knowing or understanding,
All: we praise you. We worship you. We glorify you.
Crucified and Risen Christ, Companion and savior, bearer of love and grace,
we thank you. We rejoice in you. We follow you
Holy Spirit; Divine Presence within; power of love, forgiveness and justice,
we open our hearts to you. We listen for you. We sing of you.
Holy Mystery, Three in one, we greet you.
Beloved God, Blessed Trinity, we give you ourselves. Re-create us in love. Amen.

4.
Leader: Holy One, you who create galaxies and have handmade the earth,
you who filled the seas drop by drop, and gave them their huge and tiny creatures,
All: we praise you with words and deeds.
Our very being is your praise.
You who keep faith forever, who bring justice for the abused,
you who set us free from all that oppresses us and open our eyes when we are blind,
we trust you, and rest all our hope in you.
You who watch over the widow and the orphan, the traveler and the alien,
you who faithfully pour love out to those who turn to you,
we look to you alone for our joy, for our life, for our very being.
Come, Holy One, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
You alone are holy, and we worship you.
Glory be to you, O God of all Creation.
Thanks be to you, O Christ, for our salvation.
We open our hearts to you, Holy Spirit,
that you may come and live in us.
Eternal God, Three in One, we praise you.
We are in awe at the mystery of your being,
the glory of your presence.
you who died in love for us, and who raised Christ from death,
and who live in us with gentle power,
receive us now in our worship.
Alleluia! Eternal Triune God, bless us
and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

6.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
People: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
Great Three-in One, you are holy—
you are our wholeness—and we worship you.
Eternal God, Holy Trinity,
we thank you that you invite us into your love
and we become part of your embrace.
Mother-Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
infinitely giving and receiving love in blessed communion,
may your love flow perfectly in us and among us

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Eternal God, Mother, Son and Holy Spirit, you are beyond our understanding, yet you come to us in the Word that blesses us. You live in us in the Spirit that renews us. In your grace you invite us into the dance of your love. Speak to us now, that our hearts may dance with yours, in the name of Christ and the grace of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
Eternal God, Living Christ and Holy Spirit, Holy Three and Holy One, we praise you. We are in awe of your mystery, and grateful for your love, and we open our hearts to your grace, that we may be changed, so that we may bear your love into the world in the name of your Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.3.Beloved Mystery, Holy Three-In One, God of grace and beauty, You who are unknowable and yet revealed, infinite and yet within us: we strain to name you, to point to you, to understand your glory. But in tender love you reveal yourself in Christ, your Living Word, and in your Spirit in us. By your Spirit may we hear your Word now. Re-create us in your love, in the image of Christ, for the sake of the world. Amen.

4.
We come now to hear your Word, God. Still our minds. Center our hearts. Draw us into your Presence. Open an empty place in time this morning, where we may stop and listen to you. Create a clear space in the center of our hearts, where you may speak your Word to us. In stillness and openness, we await the Risen Christ, your Living Word, the hand of your blessing, the melody of your voice. We are listening. Amen.

5.
Eternal God, you are Mystery; you are Love; you are the Spirit of Life. We worship you in awe. We receive your Word with gratitude. We open our hearts to your life within us. Blessed God, Holy Trinity, surround us in your worship. Be the womb in which we receive life; be the companion who shows us how to live life; be the breath that gives us life. Speak to us, God, for your children are listening. Amen.

6.
Eternal God, spring of life in us and in all Creation, we open our hearts to your grace. As spring turns to summer and life burgeons around us, so may the sap of your love run in us, your love blossom in us. We listen for your living Word. Speak to us and awaken your Spirit in us. Amen.

7.
God, in the beginning was the Word, and all things were created through your Word. Create us anew through your Word. Speak to us in the voice of Christ, that we may hear. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, that we may be your Word, living and faithful, for the sake of the blessing of all Creation. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

1.
Holy Mystery, Three In One,
you are more than we can imagine;
you are in us and we are in you.
By your Holy Spirit
pour your love into our hearts.

2.
Eternal One, Holy Oneness,
we belong to you.
Loving Christ, Divine Companion,
listen for you.
Holy Spirit, Breath of God in us,
we open ourselves to your flow
into us and through us to the world.
Holy Three, Holy One,
you live in us, and we in you.
We offer ourselves in love.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
      We give our hearts to you, God, Creator and Ruler of the world, Heart of all things, Heavenly Mother and Father of us all, who calls us into being and surrounds us with grace.
      We give our hearts to you, Jesus, embodiment of love. In you the worlds, both visible and unseen, infinite and particular, mortal and divine, are one. Crucified and risen, you come to us in many ways; you call us by name; you touch us and transform us; you call us to follow you in love.
      Holy Spirit, we live by your grace: we breathe your love, and shine with your gifts. You unite us in the Body of Christ, and empower us to trust grace, to practice love and forgiveness, to seek justice, and to radiate hope as we join in the work of the healing of the world. Blessed God; Three In One; Mother, Son and Holy Spirit; Lover, Beloved and the Love that Flows Between, we give our hearts to you, that you may live in us. Amen.

2.
       We love and trust in God, Eternal Source and Creator of all that is and all that is to come, beyond our naming or understanding, the infinite many and yet the Holy One.
       We love and trust in God revealed in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, divine love made real among us. He taught and healed, cast out evil and performed miracles; he died and was raised to life again, and makes his home among us still, drawing us close to God.
       We love and trust in God, Holy Spirit, breath of life and energy of love within and among us, who gives us grace to forgive, to heal, and to work for justice for the sake of all living beings. In the One Spirit we are one Body, the Church: one in Christ, one in love, one in ministry to the world. In the name of the Holy Mystery, the Blessed Trinity, Mother, Son and Holy Spirit, we live as God’s praise, now and in eternal life. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

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

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.

Eternal and Infinite One,
you are beyond all things, greater than all time and space;
you are the Loving Mystery that brings all things into being,
earth and stars, family and song, beauty and grace.
You create us as the image of your love, and claim us as your Beloved.
You defeat the powers of injustice and set us free from all that oppresses,
and feed us so we have life, and have it abundantly.
You invite us to your table to celebrate, to feast, and to share.
Therefore as one voice with all Creation we sing your praise.

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, your Beloved,
your Word made flesh, your grace embodied,
in whom your Love flowed, and in whom we might love you.
By your presence in him he taught and healed,;
he fed and guided your people.
He was opposed by human powers, and crucified,
but being the embodiment of your infinite love,
the grave could not hold him.
You raised him from the dead; and we celebrate his life among us

(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:

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 you may live and breathe in us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
one in your Spirit, embodying your love
for the sake of the healing of the world.

[Spoken or sung]
Amen.

2.
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.

Blessed are you, O God, Eternal Source,
Infinite Fountain of Life, whose Word creates all things.
Your Spirit of wisdom, Spirit of love and truth,
has set her table; she calls out to us.
Though you are unsearchable,
you invite us to this meal where we may know you.
Therefore with all Creation we sing as one voice:

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He called you Father, embodied your Word and lived by your Spirit.
He was killed by the forces of evil and injustice,
but in the power of love and grace you raised him from the dead.
He revealed you as Holy Communion, the sharing of life,
and who taught us to share life, so that we might be one with you.

[… The Blessing and Covenant …] *

Christ is one with our human life,
so that we may be one with your divine life.
Dying, Christ destroys our death.
Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ shall come again in glory.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gift of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and blood of Christ.
that we may be the Body of Christ,
one with you, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world.
May all of life be Holy Communion for us:
the sharing of love in community,
in your life and grace, Eternal God, Blessed Trinity,
Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit.
God of all Creation,
may your Word be made flesh
by all your holy Church
in the love of Christ
and the power of the Holy 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 after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have filled us with your Spirit, given us gifts, and kindled within us the fire of your Word, burning in us with the passion to share your love with all the world. Send us in the power of your Spirit to give, to serve, to love, and to rejoice in the name and in the company of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, you who are Three In One, you who are the very sharing of life, you have included us in your sharing. Send us into the world to share life in your Spirit, in the company of Christ, according to your loving will. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

God Beyond, Within, Among (Tune: For the Beauty of the Earth)

Holy God, great Trinity, source of all things good and true,
Gracious, Blessed Mystery, now we come to worship you.
God beyond, within, among: hear us sing our thankful song.

God, Creator, Womb of Life, whose eternal love and power
gather Earth and bring forth light, re-create us in this hour.
God beyond, within, among: hear us sing our thankful song.

Christ, our, brother, meet us here; touch our wounded hearts and heal.
Word of God, made close and clear, in your grace your truth reveal.
God beyond, within, among: hear us sing our thankful song.

Holy Spirit, Breath within, Wind of Heaven, gentle Dove,
make us holy, save from sin, fill our hearts with perfect love.
God beyond, within, among: hear us sing our thankful song.

Blessed, Holy Trinity, in your image and your power
we are your community; re-create us in this hour.
Holy God, we worship you! Take our lives and make them new.

God Eternal. Holy Trinity (Tune: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus)

God Eternal, Holy Trinity, Father-Mother, Spirit, Son,
Gracious Mystery, Loving Family, you have baptized us as one.
Sharing life at your kitchen table, feeding us with generous grace,
send us now into the world, one with all the human race.

Christ, our Brother, Guide and Teacher, Savior, Healer, Living Word:
we are baptized in your dying, in your rising, love out-poured.
You have fed us with the outcast, raised us to new life in you;
send us now to love our neighbors, with your Presence in all we do.

Holy Spirit, Bright Companion, Breath of Life that lives in us,
we are baptized in your power, grace to share your love and peace.
Send us now as your living Body, radiant with your infinite grace.
Lead us, guide us, bless and sustain us. May our living be your praise!

God of Creation, Birthing us Daily (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

God of Creation, birthing us daily,
granting salvation, making things new,
thanks for your blessing gladly we give you,
freely confessing our love for you.

Healing, forgiving, Jesus you touch us.
Bless all our living; grant us delight.
Jesus our brother, help us live gently,
love one another, trust in God’s light.

Grant us our living, great Holy Spirit,
faithfully giving hearts made of praise:
baptized in glory, servants of Jesus,
living your story all of our days.

God our Creator, You Gather Us Here (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God our Creator, you gather us here,
you who release us from bondage and fear,
you who make all things, and make all things new,
gladly we sing our thanksgiving to you.

Light of the world, Christ, you healed the blind,
freed us from chains of oppression that bind,
died with our dying! Our life is in you:

Spirit, unite us, and make our hearts new.
Help us by grace to live lives that are true,
touch with your healing and see with your sight,
live in your pure love and shine with your light.

(Communion verse:)
Christ, by your Body and Blood, present here,
make of one Body your people so dear,
taken, blessed, broken and given, all free,
so all may have life, and abundantly.

Holy Mystery (Tune Of the Father’s Love Begotten)

Holy Mystery, we worship you, Holy Three in One,
God beyond our understanding, Mother, Spirit and the Son,
Holy Love, Beloved, and the flowing Love between,
never ending or begun.

God, our infinite Creator, Source of all and ending too,
Holy Lover eternal, all around and in and through,
Love that flows in us, and in whom we all are one:
we find ourselves in you.

Infinite, eternal Love unseen, Love made flesh on earth,
Love that burns within our hearts, in whom all have infinite worth,
Mother, Son and Holy Spirit: we worship y0u in awe,
and receive new birth. Amen.

O Holy Trinity (Tune: Finlandia)

O Holy One, O Mystery beyond us,
We praise you, Lord, O Grace without a name.
Creator of the universe within you,
Source of our life, Thou Infinite Divine,
Unseen, unknown, we cannot frame or bind you,
Only our wonder and our praise proclaim.

O Loving One, O Love who made the heavens,
You choose to come among us as our own,
The Living Word, in flesh revealed, Companion,
Stranger and Friend, whose suff’ring is your throne.
Eternal One who humbly dies among us,
Your tender mystery in love is known.

O Living One, O Grace who lives in our life,
We can’t contain you, but we can adore.
Spirit of Love beyond, beside, within us,
Into our hearts your healing presence pour.
Many and One, O Mystery, Christ and Spirit,
We sing, we live your praise forevermore.

Pentecost

June 8, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Acts 2.1-21 —The Pentecost story.

Psalm 104 — God creates all things through God’s Spirit, and that the Spirit gives living beings their life.

Romans 8.14-17 — All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

John 14. 8-17, 25-27 — “I am in God, and God in me.”… The promise of the Advocate. “Peace I leave with you.”

Preaching Thoughts

Speaking in tongues
        I’m intrigued that the Pentecost story of “speaking in tongues” is about communication—the disciples speaking in other people’s languages (“tongues”) to communicate the gospel they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to communicate—and yet within twenty years “speaking in tongues” was understood not as speaking in known languages for the purpose of communication, but in ecstatic utterances that were meaningless, even to the speaker, without interpretation. I wonder how that reversal came about? I think the pentecostal challenge is not to experience ecstasy but to communicate the good news in ways people understand—which is not in our religious language, or even in words, but in love and justice.
        That involves more listening than talking: paying attention to people and their lives, their context, their needs, and listening to them, to what they experience and need and ask for—what I call “listening in tongues.” It’s listening for people’s “love language.” Pentecost invites us to check our desire that others “speak our language,” our temptation to impose our own values on them. Sometimes the most pentecostal thing we can do is affirm people as they are, rather than ask them to conform to our standards and expectations. Pentecost invites us to assume God has been with them in their journey, even if it’s very different from ours.

The Holy Spirit
        It’s helpful for us to personify the Spirit, to imagine the Holy Spirit as, well, a spirit—a sort of invisible “someone” who comes to us and acts upon us. That’s cool, as long as we remember we’re anthropomorphizing a member of the Holy Trinity, that is, God, who is not a god, but beyond all gods—the Mystery of Love that is Being itself. The Holy Spirit is not some ghost, but God in us. In both Greek and Hebrew the word for wind, spirit and breath (and hence life) is the same: ruach in Hebrew and pneuma in Greek. The Holy Spirit is the living energy of God (which is love) in us. When we love, that’s God doing God’s thing.
        Jesus says “I am in God, and you in me, and I in you (Jn. 14.20). Sounds a little spacey, but it’s literally true. God is infinite; we are within God. The Holy Spirit is our inter-penetration, our inter-being. Jesus was both human and divine; so are we.
       We speak of the disciples “receiving “ the Spirit at Pentecost, but they already had it. They were born with it. (Joel says the Spirit is poured out on all flesh.) And just to make sure, Jesus has breathed on them in John 20. But Pentecost is the moment when the spark catches fire and they burn with it, overcoming their fear and grief. Acting in the power of the Holy Spirit isn’t some ecstatic experience, but simply being a vessel for love. It’s not our love, our effort, but God’s. We let the Spirit, God’s love in us, do its thing. That’s what enables us to do things that seem beyond our capacity or expectations—like communicating love in languages we haven’t studied.

Baptism
        (See here for a more extended reflection on baptism.)
        Pentecost is a great day for baptisms, baptismal renewal, Confirmation, and receiving new members. (See a service of Baptism/ Baptismal Renewal/ Confirmation here.) People often conflate baptism and confirmation. Those who believe in “adult baptism” see it as a way to affirm one’s faith. But baptism, like birth, isn’t something you do; it’s something you receive. Baptism is a symbol of God’s unconditional love of the person being baptized—whether or not they like it, or understand it, or even know it. (That’s why we baptize babies.) Confirmation is the act in which we respond—we confirm our baptism; we accept our divine belovedness and vow to live in harmony with it. We can only be baptized once, since our belovedness is permanent, eternal and unchanging, and isn’t dependent on the pastor or church or denomination that pours the water, nor on the person receiving it. But we do need to continually re-affirm our baptism, to re-commit ourselves to the vows that were made at our baptism.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God, in the beginning your Spirit
brooded over the water and you created everything.
All: By your Spirit you create us anew, and we praise you.
Loving Christ, when you rose from the dead you breathed your Spirit into us.
By your Spirit you raise us up from death, and we thank you.
Holy Spirit, you breathe your love into us and give us your beauty and your courage.
In your Spirit you make us one body, the Body of Christ, the Body of Love.
In your Spirit we bear your love to the world.
We love you; we worship you; we serve you. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Holy Spirit, you breathed over the waters and brought forth Creation.
All: You create us anew each day, each breath.
Holy Spirit, you live and move in all of us.
You make us one, your living body
Holy Spirit, you enflame us with your love.
We are the love song you sing to the world.
And so we sing our love to you. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: Spirit of God, you breathe life into us.
All: Breath of Life, you fill us with glory.
Glory of God, you call us to your love.
Fire of Love, we burn with your presence.
Wind of Compassion, blow through us to all the world.
Word of God, live in us by your grace. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Spirit of Life, you create all things.All: Alleluia! We praise you for your great love!
Leader: Spirit of Christ, you join us in one body.
All: Alleluia! We thank you for your great love!
Leader: Spirit of love, you fill us so we are able to love others.
All: Alleluia! We ask you for your great love!
Help us to become more loving,
to continually receive and give your love in Jesus’ name. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: You have promised to pour out your Spirit on all flesh,
on male and female, young and old, rich and poor alike.
All: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may proclaim your great works and live by your great love.
Help us, by the power of your Spirit, to prophecy in your name.
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Light our hearts on fire with your love.
Alleluia! Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us! Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of our living breath, you poured out your Spirit on Jesus’ followers long ago, and created the church. Pour out your Spirit on us now, and make us once again the Body of Christ, breathing your love, on fire with your courage, carried on the winds of your joy. Speak your Word to us, and set our heart aflame with your love. Amen.

2.
God of Creation, in the beginning your Spirit breathed over the waters and you brought forth life. Re-create us by your Word. Baptize us in your grace. Bring us to new life, and kindle in us your love for all your people, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
Holy Spirit, Spirit of love, you live in us and give us life. Help us to listen to you now. Help us to take in your word like breath and let it give us life. Help us to take in your word like food and let it give us strength. Help us to take in your love so that we can give your love to others. We pray in the name and in the presence of Jesus. Amen.

5.
Holy Spirit, we breathe in, and you enter us. You fill us. You give us life and energy. We breathe out and you give us voice and song, and we speak your truth. Breath of God, breathe in us now. Speak to us, and in us, and through us. Amen.

6.
Eternal God, spring of life in us and in all Creation, we open our hearts to your grace. As spring turns to summer and life burgeons around us, so may the sap of your love run in us, your love blossom in us. We listen for your living Word. Speak to us and awaken your Spirit in us. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

1.
Spirit of Love,
we breathe deeply of your grace.
Your breath fills us;
your Word gives us life;
your light creates us;
your breath transforms our bodies
into the Body of Christ.
As we open our lungs,
we open our hearts to you.

2.
Great Living Spirit,
breathe in us.
Give our lives
the language of love.
May the Wind of your Spirit
carry us where you desire.

Prayer of Confession

Spirit of God, you breathe your love in us.
We give thanks for those times
when we have lived by your love, your Spirit in us….
(Silence…)
Spirit of God, you breathe your love in us.
We confess those times
when we have lived by fear or selfishness, not by your Spirit,
and we open ourselves to your grace…
(Silence…)
We breathe in your grace.. and we breathe out your grace.
Thanks be to you, God of our breath.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. (Romans 8. 11-14 ; Galatians 5.22-26)
We give thanks, for the Spirit of God lives in us. Since the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, then the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies also, through that Spirit that lives in us. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Since we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Amen.

2.
We believe in God, Creator of all,
whose Spirit in the beginning breathed over the waters of chaos.
We believe in Jesus Christ, son of God,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and to whom the Spirit gave power to teach and to heal,
to make known God’s infinite love.
He was crucified, gave up his Spirit, and died;
yet he was raised from the dead,
and breathed his spirit into us,
and lives and reigns forever with God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God’s presence within and among us,
by whose power we, the Church, are made the Body of Christ,
one with one another and one with Christ,
empowered to love and to bless, to do the very deeds of Christ.
We believe in the love of God and neighbor,
the forgiveness of sin, the life of death and resurrection,
and the reality of eternal life. Amen.

Reading

Psalm 104. 1, 24-35 My paraphrase

O God, I bless you!
May my soul be my blessing and thanks,
for you are infinitely good;
you are the perfect heart of all things.

Your working unfolds richly with grace
and layers upon layers of your poetry.
Earth abounds with your presence—
all these living things, your creatures!

Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
teeming with innumerable beings,
small and great in the hidden waters.
Beneath our confident ships, deeper
than our understanding, swims
a great secret creature whom you made,
at home in the depths.

Your creatures live in faith,
looking to you for their sustenance
from moment to moment.
So simple, the way of life!:
you provide, and they gather.
You open your hand
and fill them with good things.
These “dumb creatures” who do not understand
cannot imagine life without you.

When you withhold their breath, they are once again only dust.
You give of your Spirit,
and create them anew with each breath.
In each breath of every creature
you make a new Creation altogether.

This glory is eternal!
God, may it give you joy,
you whose mere look trembles the earth,
whose simple touch ignites mountains!

Let this awe fill me as long as I live.
Let this song be the breath of my being.
May my mindfulness delight you
as much as you delight me.

Let all that is sinful in me be consumed;
let all my evil be no more,
so that all of me is a blessing to you,
so that I may be your Alleluia!

Eucharistic Prayer

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
At his baptism your Spirit descended on him as a dove.
He embodied your love, he breathed your grace.
By your Spirit he healed and taught and nourished your people.
The powers of evil opposed him and crucified him;
but the Spirit of Life raised him.
Risen from the dead, he came to us and breathed his spirit into us,
his promise to be with us always.

(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:

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. Anoint us with your Spirit, unite us with all who love you, give us the language of grace, and send us into the world aflame with your love, in the name of Christ, for the sake of the blessing of the world. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and on these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will. In your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with all who follow Christ, and one with all whom we serve in your name. Send us into the world, bright with the spirit of your love, alive, even to eternal life, with the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have created us by your Spirit, you have made us one in your Spirit, you have filled us with your Spirit, and now you send us into the world in the power of your Spirit, to show forth your love and grace to those who are hungry to hear and see. Bless us, that we may continually do your will. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Bearers of Light (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

God, how you love us, hold us and bless us,
reign from above us, lead us by hand
Call us to healing, bound by your Promise,
your Word revealing, by your command.

Great holy giver of life and wonder,
deep like a river your blessings flow.
Gladly we give you praise and thanksgiving:
gifts we will give wherever we go.

Baptized, anointed, filled with your Spirit,
we are appointed bearers of light:
for liberation, servants of justice,
bringing the nations joy and delight.

Breath of God (Tune: Londonderry Air – Oh Danny Boy)

O Holy One, Creator of the stars of night,
whose dust we are, created with your light,
now breathe your spirit into us and give us life;
give us new hearts that beat with your delight.
Our dust and ashes, Love, we give in faith to you.
Receive our lives, our sin, our wounds, our death;
and raise us up with Christ from death to life by grace.
God, may we be your love and you our living breath.

Breathe into us the breath of your compassion, God,
the breath to sing your praise in all we do,
the breath to run the race of justice, long and far.
Breathe, holy breath: empower and renew.
O be the grace that fills our lungs, reviving us;
O be the wind on which our hearts can soar;
O be our life, our beauty and our living breath.
O Spirit, come breathe in us now and evermore.

Fire of Love (Tune: HOLY MANNA)

Holy Spirit, you have gathered us as on that Pentecost
when you gathered Christ’s disciples and their fears and doubts were lost:
breathing life into their souls, and shining out of every face,
you sent them into the streets to tell of God’s amazing grace.

Each aflame with your compassion, eager that your praise be sung,
fearlessly they filled the streets to tell your news in every tongue.
So we ask you, by your life within us, giving us new birth,
send us out to spread God’s love in Jesus’ name to all the earth.

Holy Spirit, you have granted gifts to each, in our own way,
so that we might serve you as we live and work and share and pray.
By your pow’r we love our neighbors, work for justice, act with peace,
reach the lost and serve the lowly: so your work will never cease.

Holy Spirit, energy of God that links us soul to soul,
by your grace we are the Body of the risen Christ, made whole.
Be the breath that lifts our singing; be the wind that fills our sails;
be the fire of love among us ‘till the Reign of God prevails.

Holy Spirit, Burn Within Us (Tune: BEECHER, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling)

Holy Spirit, Sun of Heaven, source of light and warmth and power,
fill us and transform us like a seed that turns into a flower.
Kindle in your willing people joy’s bright spark, compassion’s flame.
Set us all afire to bear your loving light in Jesus’ name.

Holy Spirit, burn within us, radiant with your healing grace.
Give us brand new ways to meet and love the stranger face to face.
Help us find new ways of caring. Help us set new, daring goals.
Give us brand new languages to speak your love to seeking souls.

Holy Spirit, let your fire consume us, changing us at last.
Let us rise like light emerging from the embers of the past.
May the star of pure compassion shine within and set us free.
Holy Spirit, make us all your flame that burns eternally.

Holy Spirit, Wind of Heaven (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)

Holy Spirit, Wind of Heaven, Breath of Life, our warmth and light,
Power of Creation, bringing hopeful dawn from darkest night:
you have birthed us, you have borne us; you have blessed us all our days,
now you fill our lungs with singing; how you fill our hearts with praise!

Holy Spirit, flame of passion, you who brought your Church to be,
re-create us as your Body, holy in our unity.
Fill us with your fierce compassion, gentle courage, trust and peace.
Lead us all to love each other; make our sad divisions cease.

Holy Spirit, Dove descending, mind of Christ within us all,
speak your wisdom, move among us, help us hear your inner call.
Be the only pow’r that moves us; be our life, O singing Dove!
Holy Spirit, come, revive us! Fill us with your heart of love!

Spirit of God (Original song)

Spirit of God, bright Wind, breath that bids life begin,
blow as you always do; create us anew.
Give us the breath to sing, lifted on soaring wing,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.

Spirit of God, bright Dove, grant us your peace and love,
healing upon your wings for all living things.
For when we live your peace captives will find release,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.

Spirit of God, bright Hands, even in far-off lands
you hold all the human race in one warm embrace.
No matter where we go you hold us together so,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.!…

Spirit of God, bright Flame, send us in your holy name,
with power to heal, to share your love everywhere.
We cannot fail or fall or know defeat at all,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.!…

Spirit of God in all, we gladly hear your call,
the life in our hands that sings, the power of your wings.
Born of your grace we rise, love shining in our eyes,
held in your hands, borne on your wings.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come.!…

An Easter Sunrise Liturgy

Click here for this liturgy in a downloadable .doc file

GREETING
In the nighttime of our sin, the grace of God rises like the dawn.
In the coldness of our hearts, hope rises like the sun.
Into all that is cold and shadowed in our lives, the light of God shines.
From the sleep of sin and the dust of our death
O God of grace, shine your light upon us!
Come to us, and renew us, O God of life!
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
Thanks be to God for the light of Christ. Alleluia!
This is the Passover of Christ, the victory of love
over sin and death, evil and violence.
Thanks be to God for the life of Christ. Alleluia!

OLD TESTAMENT READING — From Exodus 14.10 – 15.21

PRAYER
God of life, from all that oppresses, set us free.
From the wounds that paralyze us and the sorrows that will not heal,
God of Life, set us free!
From the tyranny of our fear, from the grip of envy and shame,
God of Life, set us free!
From the power of sin, and all that keeps us from you,
God of Life, set us free!
From the lure of evil and violence, from all our hurtful ways,
God of Life, set us free!
from our slavery to the darkness, into your gracious light,
God of Life, set us free, and grant us your grace! Amen.

GOSPEL — Luke 24.1-10

SONG

PSALTER (Psalm 107.1-2, 10-15)
O give thanks to the Holy One, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Holy One say so,
whom God has redeemed from trouble.
We sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
for we had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Our hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
we fell down, with no one to help.
Then we cried to God in our trouble,
and God saved us from our distress.
God brought us out of darkness and gloom,
and broke our bonds asunder.
Oh God, we thank you for you steadfast love,
for your wonderful works to humankind.

NEW TESTAMENT READING — Romans 6. 1-11

ACCLAMATION
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!
The stone has been rolled away!
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
The tomb where they laid him is empty.
This is the work of God, wonderful in our eyes!
To the one whom everyone scorned, we give our praise!
The Gentle One is victorious,
the innocent one over the powers of this world.
Christ, on your cross, our life and death have struggled.
But Love has overpowered death itself.
Christ, in your grave, our sin lay dead and defeated.
The Sun of our life has risen, and brought us into glory.
Christ, in your rising, we are brought to life.
Victorious Savior, have mercy on us all! Alleluia!

MEDITATION

SONG

THE PRAYERS

BAPTISMAL RENEWAL
When the sun rose upon the empty tomb,
it brought a new day,
Everything was changed:
there was a new Creation.
God of resurrection,
by the light of Christ’s rising,
grant us a new day.
By the mystery of your grace,
raise us up to new life
in the Spirit of Christ.
All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death.
Therefore we have been buried with him
by baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of God,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
By God’s great mercy
God has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
Blessed be God!

[Here people may be invited to interact with the water, for instance by touching it, or making a cross on their foreheads… or it may be sprinkled on everyone with greens.]

SONG

PRAYER OF BLESSING
Beloved Mystery, you have raised Christ from the dead, and with Christ you have raised us into new lives. Give us faith to continually die with Christ—surrendering our lives to you— so that we might be raised with Christ. May the wonderful mystery of resurrection give light to our days, courage to our love, and hope to our hearts. We thank you for the gift of life, made always new. This is the day you are creating, and we rejoice in it! Alleluia!

SONG

BLESSING
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

SENDING FORTH & PASSING THE PEACE

7th Sunday of Easter / Ascension Sunday

Thursday, May 29 – or Sunday, June 1, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Ascension Day

Acts 1. 1-11 — The ascension.

Psalm 47 — God has gone up with a shout.

Ephesians 1. 15-23 — May God give you a spirit of wisdom… with the eyes of your heart enlightened… the immeasurable greatness of God’s power, by which God raised Christ from the dead

Luke 24.44-53 — Jesus’ final instructions. Proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins. The ascension.

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 16. 16-34 —Paul and Silas choose not to escape from prison, and convert the jailer.

Psalm 97 — God rules the world… light dawns for the righteous.

Revelation 22.12-14, 16-17, 20-21 — “I am coming…. I am the Alpha and Omega”…. let everyone who is thirsty come…

John 17. 20-26 — Jesus prays “that they all be one.” “May the love with which you loved me be in them.”

Preaching Thoughts

Acts
       The story of the Ascension, like that of the Transfiguration, is highly and purely symbolic. Treating it as a historical fact that proves a certain point (like that Jesus is divine) is not as fruitful as letting it be a story that invites our wonder. The story offers layers of “meaning” and significance.
       It’s the opener of Season Two of Luke’s series Jesus and His People. It begins as so many episodes do, with “Previously, in the Gospel of Luke,” and then does a little recap to bring us up to the present moment. (There’s also a little teaser for the next episode: “You will be baptized by the Holy Spirit not many does from now…” ) “Theophilus” could be a real person, or a symbolic name. It means “God-Lover.” Just like, yes, “Amadeus.”
      Jesus appears during 40 days, the Official Biblical Gestational Period. Scripture’s way of saying something holy is unfolding. Then the disciples want to know the old Messianic question: will you finally throw off Roman occupation and set Israel free? As usual Jesus changes the question, as if to say “My kingdom is not of this world.” Then he turns the focus from himself to the disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” A foreshadowing of Pentecost. And of the work following that. The disciples (we) are to be Jesus’ witnesses, both to behold him and to “bear witness,” to show him forth in our living, in an expanding world from there in town in Jerusalem, across the country and even the “enemy country” of Samaria, and out into all the world. Jesus lays out a plan for a community that is radically expansive, not in conquest but in inclusion.
        We still cling to the ancient worldview that God is “up” (NFL players point to the sky when they score. Why not point to the ground, or their hearts?) Given that geography, for Jesus to ascend implies he’s gone”up” to be with God on the throne—that is, to rule over all Creation. Love is actually sovereign, even if it’s unseen.
        For those concerned with the physical body of Jesus after the resurrection, this seems to present a puzzle: now where is Jesus? But he has told them: In you. In Luke 24.48-49 and Acts 1.8 Jesus has charged them to continue his ministry and promised the Spirit (in John 20.22 he has already breathed his spirit into them). And in John 17 he prays “that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” So it’s not just a story about Jesus: it’s a story about us. Jesus is the spirit; we are the body. On Pentecost the disciples will discover that gift with amazing power. The Ascension makes way for the community to become the physical body of the risen Christ.
         “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Hm. Maybe that’s in reference to the scriptures depicting God coming
“in the clouds:” Jesus is going to come back through the sky? Or maybe it means he’ll come in a way as unexpected as this? Or maybe it simply means “You really saw him go, didn’t you? When he comes, don’t worry, you’ll see it.” As usual,. There’s no one right interpretation of this saying. Let it entice you.
       This is also a story about grief and transition: the disciples now have to live without Jesus in separate physical form. It reflects a lot of the change, grief and uncertainty in the early church, and in the church these days.
       And it raises the question of how we live out our faith without the reassurance of Jesus’ physical presence with us. Much as we might wish he were ”here” in that way, we have to learn to accept his presence in a different form.

Ephesians
       What a rich vein. Pray your way through this slowly. Here is my paraphrase of the book of Ephesians. See also a couple readings below.
      Ephesians wasn’t written by Paul. Maybe his less anal sister. If you’re ever down, just read Ephesians., It’s stuffed with one blessing after another. The writer really cared about her congregation and believed in them.
      The prayer in this passage is for wisdom and enlightenment but it doesn’t mean being smart or knowing the right answers. It means the enlightenment of our hearts, the way our soul knows things our minds can’t comprehend. Like what it’s like to be loved. The writer wants you to hope, and to trust in the power of God, the power that raised Christ, power that is greater than any other power.

Luke
       This is the end of Volume 1 of Luke’s gospel, Acts being volume 2. Here’s a shorter version of the story that’s repeated in Acts 1. In this version it’s late on the day of the resurrection. In Acts it’s 40 days later. Notice how Luke doesn’t mind telling two contradictory versions. They’re stories, not history.
       Jesus says scripture says the Messiah is to die and be raised. Well, Luke says it. Most scholars think Jesus never said that. But no one, Christian or Jewish, has ever been able to find scriptures that actually say that. It’s only through our Christian lens that we can overlay Jesus’ story onto Hebrew scriptures and see how they look similar. Take Isaiah’s servant songs. They’re not really about the Messiah (or even a person at all; they could be about the whole nation of Israel), and they don’t really describe resurrection. It’s not fair to pretend Isaiah had Jesus in mind in those songs. But we can see Jesus in them. The early church saw the resurrection as consonant with the way scripture shows us God, and their way of saying that was “scripture says this.” Let that be good enough.
       Jesus probably also didn’t say ”repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations.” But again it encapsulates the sense of mission of the early church. This is Luke’s version of a Great Commission, like John 20.22-23 and Matthew 28.18-20. This is what the early church believed they were about. The Jesus Seminar translates it: “All peoples will be called on to undergo a change of heart for the forgiveness of sins.” The root of this, the action we need to take, is not so much preaching but forgiving. It’s often assumed that people need to repent to be forgiven, but that’s not what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is the wounded person letting go of the hurt regardless of the hurtful person’s behavior. People will experience a change of heart when they receive forgiveness. We forgive, and that changes them; then they repent.

John
       Jesus’ prayer that we all be one is almost laughable, except that it’s so sad that we aren’t. How hypocritical is it of us to keep repeating his prayer when we’re also busy separating, dividing, leaving denominations, and continuing our polarization? Well, I think it is hypocritical. Clearly what Jesus meant was not that we all think alike, or worship alike or have the same doctrine or politics. What he was praying about is that same thing his whole ministry was about: love for everybody, without exception. His prayer is that we all love one another, regardless of our religion or politics, and that we be engaged in loving our neighbors, especially those who are most un-loved. He prayed “that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Christ is in us all, and loving through us, equally and alike, no matter what our style, doctrine, practices or structures are. We are one in Christ’s love. In everything else we’re doomed to fracture into ever more microscopic splinters. It’s God’s love, not anything we believe, hold or practice, that makes us one.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Eternal God, you have raised Christ to rule over the universe!
All: We sing your praise in awe and wonder. Alleluia!
You have raised Christ to reign over all human history.
All is taken up in the grace and Christ. Alleluia!
You have raised up Christ to rule over our hearts and our lives.
We bow in humility and gratitude,
and give our lives to serve in love and wonder. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Christ, crucified and risen, you come to us in love.
All: We welcome you with gratitude, and we give you our thanks.
Christ, eternal Word of God made flesh, you ascend to rule the universe.
We worship you with awe, and we give you our obedience.
Living Christ, you breathe your Spirit into us.
We receive you with open hearts, and we give you our love. Alleluia!

3. [from Revelation 22.12-21]
Leader: Christ says, “See, I am coming soon!
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
All: Blessed are those who wash their robes,
who are given access to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
Let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.
The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.
Amen.

4.
Leader: Holy One, Heart of Heaven, your grace enfolds us.
Your Word creates us, and we rejoice in you.
You are in us, and we are in you.
Risen Christ, you have been raised to rule all things.
You reign over us in love, and with grace you embrace us.
You are in us, and we are in you.
Holy Spirit, you live in each of us, giving us one shared life.
With your people in all nations and traditions, languages and lifestyles,
we are one. And we praise you as one people.
Alleluia! You are in us, and we are in you.
Come, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: We gather from many different lives and places.
All: But, God, we are one in you.
We have many different hopes and beliefs.
But, Jesus, we are one in your love.
We have many different gifts.
But God, in your Holy Spirit, we are one body.
Your love is supreme over all the world.
We worship you, to be claimed by your love,
transformed by your love, and sent in your love
for the healing of the world,
and the name, and the Spirit, and the love of Christ. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Infinite God, the Christ who has walked among us you have raised up from death. The love Jesus embodied you have set on the throne of the world. In humility we open our hearts to your Word. Speak to us and re-point the very compass of our hearts, that they may point to you alone, and to your love. We pray in the name of the crucified and risen and exalted Christ. Amen.

2.
Eternal God, you sent us Christ who lived among us, located in time and space. Give us faith to behold in every time and place Christ, whose love raises us from death, whose presence gives us life. Resurrecting God, lead us onward. Amen.

3.
God of mystery, Christ cannot be contained—by a grave, or by a body. Love is above all things, all desires and all powers. Christ risen and ascended, reigns from the throne of our hearts. We give you our thanks and pledge allegiance to your Reign, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Risen Christ,
you are no longer in one time or place,
but in every time and place.
You are here. You are in us.
We are in you.
We open our hearts to your loving presence.

Prayer of Confession

God of grace, we confess how small we imagine you;
yet you are infinite, your presence mysterious.
We confess we pretend to understand Jesus;
yet he exceeds our grasp.
We confess we want Jesus for ourselves;
yet he has ascended, enlarged beyond our time and place.
We confess how small our faith is.
Open our hearts, God, to your infinite greatness, and your mystery.
We repent of our certainty. Give us faith instead.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. ( Ephesians 1.17-23)
Leader: We pray that the God of the beloved, Jesus Christ, the God of glory, may give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know the Creator so that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened.
All: We give our hearts to God, who calls us to hope,
who gives us a glorious inheritance among the saints,
and who shows immeasurably great power for us who trust.

God has shown that power in raising Christ from the dead
and seating Christ beside God in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.

God has put all things under Christ’s feet
and has made Christ the head over all things for the church,
which is Christ’s body,
the fullness of God who fills all in all. Alleluia!

2. (Ephesians 1. 15-23)

Leader: O God, God of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of Life and Father of glory, All: Give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know you.
May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened.
May we know the hope to which you have called us.
May we behold the riches of your glorious inheritance among the saints.
May we know the immeasurable greatness of your power for us who believe.
Your great power is at work in us, the same power you put to work in raising Christ
Christ is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.
You have put all things under his feet
and have made him the head over all things for the church.
We, the church, are his Body, his real Presence,
through which he fills the world.
Bless us that we may be filled with Christ,
and fill the world with his love. Amen.

3.
            We trust in God, the Source of all being, sovereign of all Creation, who in love continually creates all that is and all that is to come
            We follow Jesus, God’s Anointed One, who embodied God’s love in word and deed, giving his life in love. Christ was crucified and yet raised to new life, and ascended to reign over all Creatgion. Christ, the flesh of God’s love, walks among us, accompanying us toward God’s reign of peace and justice. Christ, the love of God, rules over our world, occupies all places and times, and leads us toward God’s New Creation.
            We live by the Holy Spirit, God’s love in us, and open our hearts to her guiding. We trust in the power of forgiveness, the reality of resurrection, the unity of the Body of Christ, and the mystery of eternal life. We devote our lives to love, mercy and justice in the name and Spirit of Christ, our ruler and our companion. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who embodied your love for us:
in his teaching and healing he made whole
bodies that were sick, families that were broken,
communities that were divided.
He gathered all around one table—
the powerful and the outcast, the esteemed and the condemned,
and fed us from one loaf.

[Blessing and Covenant]

Jesus invited us to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection.
Crucified and risen, he ascended from one time and place
into all times and places.
He gave us all his Spirit, making us one body in him,
promising that we would be in him, and he in us,
so that we would be one in you.
Whenever we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

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 be for the world the Body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood and made one in his Spirit.
Christ is no longer in the body of a Galilean peasant
but, through his Spirit, in his community.
Receiving the Body of Christ, we become again the Body of Christ,
one with Christ, one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world.
Through your son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
all glory and honor is yours,
eternal and loving God.

[Spoken or sung]
Amen.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

Gracious God, we give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. You are our sovereign; your love, embodied in Christ, reigns over all the world. Send us in humility and awe, in love and courage, to serve you, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. As wheat is gathered and made into one loaf, so we have been made on in Christ’s love. As bread rises, Christ has risen into a new form, and is alive in us. Send us now as the Body of Christ, moved by the Spirit of Christ, to join in the loving work of Christ, for the healing of the world. Amen.

Songs

(Click on titles to view on the Music page)

Offering song (Tune: HOLY MANNA or Joyful, Joyful)
(Included in Offering Songs, one- or two-verse songs
for dedication of offering or communion elements, set to familiar hymn tunes.)

Christ is risen, but no longer in firm flesh that we can hold.
Christ is risen far beyond our thought or power, forms of old.
As a fire can’t keep its light but shines it out; it travels on,
Christ has risen and ascended: love to rule the world has gone.

Christ is risen, and has named us witnesses to all the world.
We are now the risen Body, hands outstretched and grace unfurled.
So we bring our lives to God, that God will bless them, shining bright,
and we pray the Spirit lead us radiating love’s pure light.

Christ Has Ascended (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ, you have gone now into all Being,
into all people, all time and space.
Open our eyes, then, that we may see you
risen and living, shining with grace.

Christ you have changed now, hidden in daylight,
always before us, here in plain sight.
We look not skyward, but to our neighbor,
every face shining with God’s pure light.

Christ, you expanded, so that your Spirit
is not yours only, but with us all.
Still our companion, you will be with us,
no matter where we follow your call.

Christ, in your love you rule all creation;
justice and mercy shine as you rise.
We are your Body, breathing your Spirit,
light of your rising clear in our eyes.

Christ, Ruler of All Things (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Christ, Ruler of all things, what is seen and unseen,
your love reigns; your grace is sure.
Beneath our fear and strife, death fails to conquer life:
your tender mercy still endures.

Christ, Ruler of our hearts, come and reign within us.
Make us comrades, siblings, friends.
Your love be our life, our only power,
that gives us life that never ends.

Christ, Ruler of the earth, bring your gentle justice:
your Realm come, your will be done.
Heal all oppression; fill us with mercy,
as faithful as the rising sun.

Christ, Ruler of all things, of what is and is to come,
Risen One, our song we raise.
Rule in our living; guide us with tender love.
Your grace in us will be your praise.

Love Is Enthroned (Tune: Finlandia)

O, risen Christ, who once appeared among us,
you have ascended! Loud we sing your praise.
Though we may see no shadow of your nearness,
you have not gone; your loving presence stays.
You are no longer in one time or place,
but in all things, to radiate your grace.

Christ has ascended, reigning now above.
Love is enthroned at the Creator’s side.
All powers on earth are subject to Christ’s love,
who is our history’s unseen, gentle guide.
Though evil try to make this world its home,
Love is its Lord, and love shall overcome.

Go in the peace of Christ who is our Lord,
and gently heal, amid the fear and strife.
For we who eat and drink the living Word
are now Christ’s Body, and Christ’s earthly life.
We may not see the journey or the end,
but Christ still reigns, our ruler and our friend.

O Faithful God (Tune: Finlandia)

O faithful God, whose steadfast love is sure,
O Loving Father, Mother kind and strong:
your Covenant forever will endure;
you bind us to your heart our whole life long.
No matter how rebellious is your child,
in you we are brought home and reconciled

You hold us, God, in kinship with each other.
We have been loved and held when we would run.
We all are siblings, all born of one Mother;
though we would flee, you join us all as one.
Our deepest wounds come from our deepest love,
and so our highest hope for life above.

So teach us God, to bravely love each other,
for all belong within your house of grace,
to give our enemy, who is our brother,
our steadfast mercy, and a wide embrace;
for in our love, though we be right or wrong,
we know the grace to which we all belong.

Risen Bread (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

You laid your life down like sowing a seed;
once dead and buried, from death you are freed,
rising like wheat in the warmth of the sun!
Christ you are risen! New life has begun!

Christ, you are risen, but not far above:
you live among us in each act of love,
in every deed of compassion you rise,
living in flesh we can see with our eyes.

Christ, we are blest as we gather to dine,
strengthened for love by the bread and the wine.
This is your Body, now entering ours,
strong with your loving, miraculous powers.

Gathered like wheat from the fields in the sun,
once we were scattered but raised we are one.
We are the body of your love and grace,
your blest community, your real human face.

Jesus, you feed us, then bid us to leave,
sharing with others the love we receive.
We are your Body, sent by your command,
making love real as the bread in our hands.

Note:
Third verse may be omitted if there is no communion.
Final verse may be included with other verses
or as a blessing at the end of the service.

You Are the Nerve (Tune: Finlandia)

O God, your Christ is risen in your people.
On earth Christ has no body now but ours.
We are the flesh and blood of your compassion:
moved by your Spirit, with its loving powers.
God be our heart, and we will be your Body,
serving in love in all our days and hours.

We are your feet, that go with joy to others
to share your love, the gospel we confess.
We are your eyes that see what is and may be,
that see each person’s need and loveliness.
We are your hands, that work with strength for justice,
your hands that shelter, heal and feed and bless.

Love, move in me, and guide me by your Spirit,
even when I don’t see or understand.
My life is yours, to be your living Body,
that I may love and serve at your command.
This is my life, my purpose and my power:
you are the nerve, and I your willing hand.

Your Holy Feast (Tune: “Londonderry Air,” Oh Danny Boy)

Oh healing Christ, you bring us to your table here,
to share with you, and all the ones you love.
We come as one, alike forgiven, healed and dear.
Oh come and bless us, Spirit, tender Dove.
        Oh, make us yours, your servants and your lovers.
        Oh, make us one, united here in you.
        Oh, make us new: the Red Sea lead us over,
        and set us free to walk in harmony with you.

Oh, Christ, you come, forgiving, risen from the dead,
in gracious love, that far outlives the grave.
You offer us your life in this, your humble bread,
and in this wine, your love poured out to save.
        So fill us with your peace and make us one again.
        Oh, fill us with your gentle, freeing love.
        Oh risen Christ, draw us into your rising here,
        and fill us with your light now dawning from above.

We come to eat the bread of peace you offer us.
We come to drink your resurrecting wine.
We come to feast upon your presence here with us,
and so become your Body as we dine.
        So make us whole again, and be our living breath.
        Make us your hands, and you will be our nerve.
        Oh, risen Christ, we join you, rising up from death,
        and by your side we’ll go, made new, to love and serve.

6th Sunday of Easter

May 25, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Acts 16. 9-15 — Paul’s vision—“come to Macedonia”—and his visit to Philippi. Lydia takes them in.

Psalm 67 — God be gracious to us and shine their face upon us.

Revelation 21.22 – 22.5 — The new Jerusalem. The river of the water of life. The tree of life for the healing of the nations. God is their light.

John 14.23-29 — “Those who love me keep my word…. Abba God and I will come to them and make our home with them. …The Advocate will teach you everything… Peace I give you…. I am going away, and I am coming to you…”

Preaching Thoughts

Acts
        In his dream Paul is beckoned to Macedonia by a man; but it is a woman who greets him and his crew, and joins in their ministry.Knowing they are on the road, she welcomes them to stay in her home. Hospitality is a work of the Spirit. And here’s another of many glimpses of the importance of women in Jesus’ ministry, and in the early church.

Revelation
       The new Jerusalem is not a vision of the triumph of Christ or Christianity over the world: it’s a vision of healing. The river of the water of life and the tree of life are for everybody, for the healing of the world. This is our vision: not an escape to a nicely furnished heaven, not the spreading of our religion or the success of our church, but the healing of the world.

John
        Jesus offers an image of God not as a king on a far-off throne, but as a homemaker. God comes and “makes a home” with us. In fact God is our home: in v. 20 Jesus says “I am in God and you in me, and I in you.” (Here’s the organic material that becomes the Trinity. And according to Jesus, we are the fourth member of the Trinity.)
       Judas (the other one) asks “How is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus’ answer is indirect (no surprise there) but he says: “Those who love me will keep my word.” When we love, we will see Jesus. Whoever does not love Jesus, that is, love their neighbor, won’t see. You won’t see Jesus through intelligence or skepticism, through religious fervor or pious intent. You’ll see Jesus when you love.
       Jesus promises “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. The word in Greek is paraclete. It’s a technical term for someone who would advocate for you in court, essentially a defense attorney. We think of God as our judge, but Jesus sees God as our defense attorney, advocating for us against the judgments of the world.
       It’s to people who may well actually be headed into court, people who are being persecuted, or at least meeting resistance from the culture, to whom Jesus says “My peace I give to you.” Take this with you as you work for justice, and confront the powers of fear, greed and control in the world. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: From the noise and demands of the world,
All: we come to be made alive in God,
to be rooted and built up in Christ,
to be nourished and held together in the Spirit,
united in Christ’s body, the Church,
abounding in gratitude and love.

2.
Leader: Holy One, praise for you rises in our hearts like spring flowers.
All: We sing with gratitude, with awe and joy.
Loving Christ, our hearts bow in thanks; they dance with delight.
Our faithful companion, we open our hearts to your blessing.
Holy Spirit, power of grace in us, we proclaim your mercy; we shine with your beauty.
We worship you. We serve you. We live by your grace. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: God of Love, you come to us.
All: Giver of life, you make your home with us.
Spirit of God, you teach us your truth.
Defender of our Souls, you remind us of all we have heard.
Risen Christ, you give us your Peace.
We receive you. We worship you. We give you thanks. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: This is the day that God has made.
All: We will rejoice, and be glad in it!
God, as the earth blossoms with colors, and the scents of new life,
our spirits show forth the glory of your grace.
For in raising Christ from death you have given new life to us all.
You have brought us to life with one Spirit breathing in us all.
You have brought us out of our solitary tombs,
and made us alive in one body.
You have given us your love,
and with Christ you have come and made your home with us.
Alleluia! Awaken us to your presence, God,
and to Christ who is among us, and the Spirit within us;
transform us by your grace, that we may serve you faithfully
as the Body of your Risen Christ.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, you have promised to be with us always, and that your Spirit will live within and among us. We open our hearts to be mindful of your presence, to listen for your Word, and to allow you to lead us by your grace. Come and fill us, Spirit of love. Amen.

2.
Life-Giving God, you have planted the Tree of Life in our midst. We are your leaves, bearing our various fruits, each in our season. May your Spirit flow through us, that we may be filled with your love and strengthened for service, and bear the fruits of your love to the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
God, you sent Jesus to be our way, our truth, our life. Help us to listen to him now, to be united in his Word, and to be empowered by his Spirit. He made promises to us. Help us to listen, so that we may treasure them in our hearts, and see their fulfillment in our lives. Gracious God, renew us by your Word. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, Jesus promised that when we love, he and you come to us and dwell with us, along with the Holy Spirit. Come to us now, and prepare a place of love in our hearts. Bless us, that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

1.
Loving God,
you are our heart, our home.
Your Christ is in us;
and we are in you.
We make a home for you here
in hearts that are still.
Come, be with us
in love.

2.
Christ of love,
we love you, and want to keep your word.
Come to us,
and make your home in us.
Give us your peace.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

      We believe in God, whom Jesus called Father,
Creator of all things, infinite in wisdom, power and love,
who prepares for a place for us to live,
and whose will for us is love and blessing.
       We give our hearts to Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son,
who lives with us in love, who heals and redeems us,
who dies in love and is raised to new life in love.
       We trust in the Holy Spirit, the divine presence in our lives,
who moves us to love in the name of Christ.
We devote ourselves to lives of faith,
serving the world in compassion and humility.
We belong to the Body of Christ;
we seek God’s peace, justice;
we trust in the power of forgiveness and mercy;
and we live by the promise of Resurrection. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively by leader(s) and congregation or by the 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 all Being, God of our life, we thank you.
We live within you; you birth us breath by breath.
You make your home with us, present in all our moments.
You overcome oppression and set us free.
You are our safe space, our living room,
our place of intimacy and celebration.
You are our kitchen, our place of nourishment and joy.
Therefore we gather at your table, with al Creation,
singing your praise:
[Sanctus]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He embodied your love; he made your home among us.
He fed the hungry and healed the broken;
he taught those who hungered for mercy and justice.
He opened the door to a new world, the Ream of God among us.
     (The Blessing and Covenant)

He was crucified by the powers of injustice and oppression;
but he was raised by the power of your love.
He gave us your Spirit, and he lives in us:
he is in you and you are in us, and we in you.
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.
As we receive thee gifts may they fill us with you,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
Christ alive in us, and us in you,
for the sake of the wholeness of the world, to your glory.
     (Amen.)

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

Gracious God, when we are loving, we become your dwelling place. We seek to become more deeply and freely loving. Therefore 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. Through our generosity, by your grace, make your home with us, now and always. 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

Always New (Tune: Gift of Love (“Water Is Wide”)
or Tallis’ Canon)

O God, you make me always new.
Each breath I breathe is life from you,
a gift of love that sets me free.
Beloved, breathe new life in me.

O Christ, you call me to new birth
like God’s creation of the earth,
to leave the things I’m fastened on
and walk into the rising dawn.

O loving Spirit, live in me.
Forgive my sin and set me free.
Give me new birth, life from above,
that I may live in your deep love.

Christ, You have Gathered Your Children
(Tune: SLANE- Be Thou My Vision)

Christ, you have gathered your children in peace
here at the table of your loving grace,
just as a mother hen gathers her brood,
giving us shelter and your holy food.

Christ, while dark shadows of death yet draw near,
you go on doing your healing work here.
So the good news of your love cannot fail:*
though evil still abounds, your grace will prevail.

Christ, dead and risen, you gather us in,
so that the great Feast of Life may begin.
Spirit, the gifts that you give us we bring,
sharing with joy as your praises we sing.

God, may we dwell in your house all our days,
sharing our gifts as our offering of praise,
humbly beholding your beauty and grace,
and walking with you and learning your ways.

* For communion substitute “So the good news of this feast cannot fail.”

Sanctuary (Original song)

Arms of healing, hands of peace, be my sanctuary.
Heal me, bless me with your grace, in your sanctuary.

All are welcome, all are safe, in your sanctuary.
All are given blessed life in your sanctuary.

May we offer, by your grace, holy sanctuary,
be your loving hands and face, be your sanctuary.

Song of Healing (Tune: Finlandia)

O God of love, O God of grace unending,
come heal your people, body, mind and soul:
those who know grief, whom sorrow is befriending,
the sick and struggling, who know sorrow’s role.
Heal those whose backs beneath their loads are bending;
come set them free. Come heal and make them whole.

Use us, O God: complete the nations’ mending:
make us your hands; show us our healing role;
make us your eyes, your light in all defending;
let healing flow; O, let your justice roll.
Help us, O God, your Holy Spirit lending,
to heal and bless, to make the dear world whole.

On Feminine Images of God

Though scripture and popular usage often refers to God as “Father, “ I often use feminine images of God. There are several reasons; here are some.

• Scripture uses feminine images of God.

• I use feminine images because I experience God in this way. I am simply being true to my experience.

• Scripture uses dozens of images to describe and identify God. It is silly to insist that God can’t be imagined in feminine images.

• God is not more masculine than feminine. God has no biology, no X or Y chromosomes, no body parts. Our images refer to social stereotypes of the nature and roles of men and women. God is beyond that. (Remember, God is not a human, no matter how great.)

• But, given our stereotypes, much of what the scriptures (and especially Jesus) say about God is actually more like our traditional stereotypes of women than of men: God gives us birth, feeds us, tends us, and washes us. God cares for us intimately, makes a home for us, tends to our relationships, and shepherds our life together as a family. Whatever values and characteristics we imagine as “feminine” —tenderness, sensitivity, emotion, receptiveness, resilience, fertility, attention to relationships—apply to God. Jesus takes care to project an image of God that is decidedly unlike our stereotypes of masculinity: control, physical dominance, rational thought, emotional distance, and so on.

• God commands that we have no graven images of God. Feminine as well as masculine images of God save us from the idolatry of the graven image of God as exclusively male.

• As The Cloud of Unknowing says, “God can be loved but not thought.” God is beyond our rational understanding. Images that are unexpected, that bewilder or even confuse us, keep us from arrogantly thinking that we have God “all figured out.”

• Our images of God are just images. God is absolute, but our images are not. We need images of God that are multiple, shifting, relative and varied, so that we worship God and not our image of God. In fact God keeps telling us, “I am not who you think I am!”

• The image of the Holy Trinity suggests that God is more than one kind of “person.” In order to keep our language about God honest, we need a variety of images, not just one. In fact the image of the Trinity suggests that we imagine God beyond our binary male-female polarity, but in a way that transcends gender. Yes, in that way God is Trans.

• The real reason we call God “father” is sexism (the thought that maleness is somehow superior)—an evil that Jesus calls us to work against. Feminine God images oppose sexism, and help change gender stereotypes and social roles.

• Feminine images of God can affirm women in ways that the church has not done: to honor their dignity, and help them identify divine qualities in themselves.

• We really should move beyond language about God that liberates us from our graven images of gender for either God or humans. For this reason the second best pronoun for God is “They.”

• The best pronoun for God, and the best way to imagine God, is not in the third person at all, since, God being infinite and omnipresent, we can’t talk about God without also talking to God. We are invited not just to have ideas and images of God, but to relate with God. So the best pronoun for God is really “You.”

Mothers Day – May 8, 2022

Scripture Texts

Selections from next week’s lectionary may be appropriate:
In Acts 16. 9-15 Luke recounts Paul’s visit to Philippi. In a dream Paul is beckoned to Macedonia by a man; but it is a woman who greets him and joins in his ministry. And knowing they are on the road, she also welcomes his group to stay in her home.

In Psalm 67 we sing God’s praise and ask God’s blessing, that “God’s face will shine upon us,” that we will experience God’s gracious presence.

Revelation 21.22 – 22.5 is a vision of the “new Jerusalem.” God, not the sun, is its light, and in its center is the river of the water of life, and the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. As Lydia provided a home for Paul, in John’s vision God is a home for us.

In John 14.23-29 Jesus offers an image of God not as a king on a far-off throne, but as a homemaker. God comes and “makes a home” with us. In fact God is our home: Jesus says “I am in God and you in me, and I in you.” He promises the Holy Spirit, and says, “My peace I give you.”

Additional texts:
Hosea 11.1-11 portrays God as a loving mother whose child, Israel, has become rebellious. Though she feels like rejecting her child, she will not, because she is God, not human: she acts in love, not anger.

Psalm 131 (a version is below) imagines us in the arms of a nursing mother, at peace.

Colossians 3.12-17 is not about motherhood, but describes a way of living together that any mother would recognize as what she wants for her family.

In Luke 13.34 Jesus refers to himself as a mother hen protecting her children.

Guiding Thoughts

Before it was swallowed up in Hallmark sentimentality Mothers Day originally arose as an action for Peace: mothers who refused to send their sons off to war to kill other mothers’ sons. (Here’s a little history.) Be careful with how you treat Mothers Day in worship. Honoring mothers can easily be construed as preferring motherhood, leaving those who are not mothers, by choice or otherwise, to wonder when they get their day. And some people are troubled honoring “all mothers,” if their own mother was abusive. The day can easily give way to the belief that women are justified chiefly by bearing children and that their highest calling in life is as homemakers. So be thoughtful.

Mothers Day can be a day to lift up images of God as Mother, but again: be thoughtful. Our sexist images of God need to be done away with, and Mothers Day can be a chance to gently introduce feminine images of God. (See my piece on feminine images of God here.) But if you do, keep it up. If we pray to Mother God once a year and Father the rest of the time, the tokenism will only serve to further obscure the fact that God is beyond gender. Keep in mind that the characteristics of God that are revealed in feminine images of God, except for birthing and nursing, are attached only to our social stereotypes of women and mothers. Our culture says certain traits, like strength, courage, or assertiveness, are masculine and others like nurturing, receptiveness or gentleness are feminine—but that’s not usually true. Except for biological functions, most gender roles are a social construct. Women are strong and courageous; men are gentle and receptive. Men raise children and women earn salaries. So be careful how you set out social gender role stereotypes as descriptions of God. They should expand our understanding of God, not restrict our understanding of mothers and women. For example we might frame the Eucharist as God our mother providing a meal for her family. But be careful not to imply that cooking and serving a meal is for mothers only, and isn’t a fatherly thing to do.

Call to Worship

Leader: Holy God, heavenly Mother,
you have given us birth and watched over us in love. We praise you.
All: Risen Christ, loving brother, you have shared with us the gift of life.
We thank you.
Holy Spirit, confident sister, you have walked with us and believed in us.
We give you our hearts.
Eternal God, Holy Trinity, family of grace, we worship you.
We gather at the family table to tell stories, to share bread,
and to give each other our hearts,
so that our lives will be changed. Alleluia!

Prayer

God of Love, Mother of our Souls, we thank you for the gift of life: that by your grace we are born anew from you; that you nurse us at the breast of Creation, that you have held us, guided us, and taught us to walk. You gather all your children in your loving arms; grant us peace with one another in your love. We pray for all mothers, givers of life; strengthen them with your love and grace. We pray especially for mothers who raise their children in poverty, violence, war or unhealthy environments; that we may care for one another as for our own kin. We pray for mothers whose children fight our wars for us; that we may learn peace. Gracious God, Mother of us all, grant us your peace. Amen.

Reading

(Psalm 131)

O Lord, my heart has not been haughty,
nor have my eyes looked too high,
nor have I striven for great things,
nor for things too wondrous for me.
But I have calmed and contented myself
like a weaned babe in my mother’s arms,
like a weaned child I am at peace.
O Israel, trust in God;
trust, now and forevermore.

Listening Prayer

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

Loving Mother God,
I nurse in your arms;
I rest in your lap;
I am at peace.
You are with me;
adoring, you hold me;
I open my heart to your presence.

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.

Our Mother God, you have given birth to us,
and we are made in your image.
You have nursed us with your love and fed us your grace;
you protect us from bullies and set us free from all that we fear.
You call us as one family, all humanity, siblings all,
to live together in peace, and to feast together at the table you set.
Therefore with the whole family of Creation we sing your praise.
     (Sanctus)

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, Mother of our Souls,
who embodied your love.
He fed the hungry as his own children;
he offered healing and comfort.
Like a mother hen gathering her children he gathered us
in his grace in a community of love.
He was crucified, but you raised him from the dead.
He invites us to his table, to feast on the grace
he has prepared for us like a mother feeding her children.

     (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,
born anew from the womb of your grace,
bearing the image and the heart of your love,
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.

Suggested Songs

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

Children of the Heavenly Mother (Tune: Children of the Heavenly Father)

Children of the Heavenly Mother
gather gladly with each other,
for you call us to your table,
bringing gifts as we are able.

You have held us and caressed us,
washed and taught us, healed and blessed us.
You who cherish and adore us,
God, you set this table for us.

You have birthed us, and have freed us;
with your body now you feed us.
In this grace, O loving mother,
we are one with one another.

So we praise you, heavenly Mother,
Holy Spirit, Christ our brother,
All Creation sings together
honor, thanks and praise for ever.

This Is Our Mother’s World (Tune: This Is My Father’s World)

As a mother in her love surrounds her own with care,
God gives us birth and life and earth and grace beyond compare.
This is our Mother’s world; her grace is everywhere,
each person blest, held to her breast, enfolded in her care.

As a mother tends her young and teaches them her ways,
God loves us so that her light will show: our lives become her praise.
This is our Mother’s world. Her care for us is sure.
Though we go wrong her love stays strong. Her love and grace endure.

As a mother, wise and kind, leads children day by day,
God holds us near so we can hear the voice that guides our way.
This is our Mother’s world, and so our gifts we bring,
to freely share her loving care, and praises gladly sing.

5th Sunday of Easter

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.

4th Sunday of Easter

May 11, 2025

Lectionary Texts

Revelation 7. 9-17 — A multitude of angels singing praise to God. They have come through a great ordeal and “washed their robes in the blood of the lamb.”

Acts 9. 36-43 —Peter revives Dorcas, also known as Tabitha,

Psalm 23 — God’s care shepherding, accompanying, feeding and blessing us.

John 10.22-30 — “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life…. No one will ever snatch them out of my hand.”

Preaching Thoughts

Revelation
       Today’s texts reflect on the mystery of grace hidden in suffering. But the “blood of the lamb” does not mean Jesus’ suffering instead of us. The significance of the cross is not that Jesus suffered and bled; many thousands suffer way more than that. The significance is Jesus’ love even at the cost of his life. His forgiveness washes away our shame and erases any obligation to be good enough. To “wash our robes in the blood of the lamb” is to know we are set free in Christ’s forgiveness, and also to acknowledge that our peace and blessing has come only after hardship and pain.

Psalm
       The comfort of Psalm 23 is not without suffering. The “paths of righteousness” where God leads us take us right smack dab into the “valley of the shadow of death.” But we fear no evil, for under God’s care the path comes out the other side, to a feast of life and blessing.

Acts
       Dorcas is also known as Tabitha. When Paul says, “Tabitha, get up,” it echoes Jesus raising a little girl from the dead, saying “Talitha (“little girl”), get up.” In our own ways each of us is dead, and God calls to us, “Little one, get up,” and brings us to life.

John
       “You do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. This is not about separating out us true believes from those detestable pagans. John is writing for a congregation that already follows Jesus, but is having doubts because it’s so damn hard. They’re getting persecuted. And the culture fights against Jesus’ values every step of the way. John is assuring his flock that they don’t need to be anxious about the judgments and disbelief of others. Those folks aren’t followers of Jesus, so of course they’ll be uncomfortable with your love and mercy and generosity and justice. Let ’em go.
       It’s also a reminder that we don’t just haul off and “believe” something as an act of will. In scripture to believe doesn’t mean to agree to a correct doctrine or opinion (a belief is really just an opinion)— but to entrust ourselves. When we see the way love works in our lives (what John has Jesus call “the works that I do”), we entrust ourselves to Jesus. What are the works Jesus does in your life? How do you see love at work? Will you entrust yourself to the One who offers such love?
       “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Whatever it means to those evangelists to “have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,” what it means to me is listening to the Voice that knows me, that is the authentic voice of love, that honors me and my story and all my wounds and gifts; and following that voice in love. It does not mean doing whatever some voice in my head tells me—that’s likely to be my ego, my fears and attachments. It means paying attention to love and how it affects me and leads me.
       “I give them eternal life.” This does not mean living forever. (Are you kidding? You don’t even want the service to over 60 minutes, and you say you want to live for 13 billion years?? No way.) Under the very strong, convincing delusion of our ego, we think we’re isolated, individual selves, contained and limited by our physical bodies. Paul calls this way of thinking “living according to the flesh.” But in fact we are not limited like that; we are not separate unrelated bits: we are all part of one beautiful mystery, one living organism, the Body of Christ. Though we appear separately we are all one, like separate fingers of one hand, one in God’s Spirit. Living in this light is what Paul calls “living according to the Spirit.” The Body of Christ is the living, embodied love of God that is eternal. Your flesh will die, but when you live in love you participate in something infinite.,Your powers are finite, but the love of God that you allow to flow through you is infinite. What Jesus calls eternal life he should really call infinite life. The point is not that it’s long, but that it’s deep.
       Jesus’ promise to give us eternal life, and that we will never perish, are profoundly comforting. But they are not an escape from suffering. In fact when we do indeed follow him we follow him toward the cross—the willingness to suffer for the sake of love. The paths of righteousness lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. We can bear to do this because love is both stronger than death and more imp0ortant than our individual ego. Jesus’ promise is not that we won’t suffer, or even die, but that love will carry us through all suffering and even death. When we live in harmony with God’s love we live on a plane that is greater than the survival of our bodies—a dimension of life that is eternal and can’t be taken from us.
        “The Father and I are one.” Oh, boy, there goes Jesus bragging again. You can see why they wanted to shut him up. Well, don’t fuss about whether Jesus historically said that. (I bet he didn’t.) For someone new to Christianity this sounds pretty arrogant. But John is not writing to people who are new to Christianity. He’s writing to us. Read John as prayer, not journalism. We already know God is fully present in Jesus. In fact we know more than John, having the benefit of the invention of the Trinity. Jesus embodies the second Person of the Trinity: he is God’s love embodied among us. So when we look at Jesus we’re seeing an image of God. So ignore what historically would have been audacious talk, and read this gospel in prayer: Jesus is one with God, and shows us God’s work in our lives.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God of love, Creator of life, we hear your voice.
All: You call to us in love, and we answer.
Christ of love, shepherd of your sheep, you lead us out in love.
You walk in love, and we follow you.
Holy Spirit, breath of love, you give us life that cannot be taken from us.
You enliven us now to worship you, and to go forth to serve in love. Alleluia!

2. (Revelation 7.9-12. See Readings below for the whole lectionary passage, 7.9-17 )
Leader: I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice.
All: Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing.
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.

3.
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: Christ is risen indeed!
Christ, our shepherd, you call to us
Lead us to your heart, and guide us in the ways of peace.
We have died, and our life is hidden in Christ.
Receive our old ways of living and grant us new life,
that we may serve you in love, all of our days.
Christ, our gentle shepherd, bless us, and lead us in your ways.
Alleluia! We entrust our lives to you! Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God, you are the gentle shepherd of our souls. Call to us and we will know your voice. Speak to us and we will answer. Go before us, and we will follow. You who give us life, we hunger for your grace. Shepherd us, O God of love. Amen.

2.
God of grace, when we are lost you give us direction. When we are defeated you give us courage. When we are weak you give us strength. When we are dead you raise us to life. Come to the place in our hearts where we are in need, and take our hand, and raise us up with your Word. Amen.

3.
Gentle God, we are your sheep, scattered and hungry. Shepherd us with your presence, lead us by your grace, and feed us with your Word, that we may not only lie down in green pastures in times of rest, but also be loving shepherds for your people in the power of your Spirit. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, you have given us the risen Christ, who shepherds us through all the paths of our life, who protects, nourishes and guides us. Help us to hear his voice, to learn to trust, and to follow, so that we might truly know the infinite, eternal life that you give us, to your glory. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Gentle shepherd,
we listen for your voice,
the voice of love, the voice of eternal life.
We listen, ready to follow.

Prayer of Confession

God of love, we confess we are afraid, and we need your peace.
We do not know the way, and we need your leading.
We are not whole, and we need your shepherding.
Call us out of old lives, and lead us in your ways.

Readings

1. Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23.

2. [Revelation 7.9-17]
Leader: I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:
All: Salvation belongs to our God
who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me,” These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship God day and night within the temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
who will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

(Ezekiel 34.11-16)
Leader: Thus says the Lord God:
All: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will feed them with good pasture, and they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

Eucharistic Prayer

Blessed is the one who comes in your name,
and Blessed is Jesus, your Anointed.
He leads us in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though we walk through the darkest valley,
we fear no evil; for Christ our shepherd is with us;
his rod and his staff— they comfort us.

[The Blessing and Covenant] *

You prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies;
you anoint our head with oil; our cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life,
and we shall dwell in your house our whole life long.

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

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 be for the world the Body of Christ.

              [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

2.
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.

Creator God, Source of all Being, Giver of Life, we thank you.
Your grace creates this world, and all that is in it.
You speak us into being. Your voice calls us to life.
You lead us beside still waters, and renew our life.
When we wander you are faithful.
When we are imprisoned you set us free.
You send us Jesus, the shepherd of our souls,
who leads us in paths of justice and compassion.
We thank you, and with all Creation we sing your praise.
     (Sanctus)

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He fed and healed the broken. He gathered the outcast.
He broke all walls of division, all systems of privilege and exclusion.
He has walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death:
for his revolutionary love he was crucified, but you raised him from the dead.
His presence comforts us, and we are not afraid.

     (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)

God, you prepare a table for us that unites us with our enemies.
You anoint us with oil; our cup overflows.
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 be for the world the Body of Christ.
By your Spirit may we spread your goodness and mercy all our days.
For we dwell in your presence forever and ever.
(Amen.)

________
3.
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.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator and ruler of all things.
You are our shepherd; we are in want of nothing.
You have made us in your image, and given us all of Creation.
We lie down in the green pastures of your grace.
You know us and claim us as your own.
You guard us from the wolf that snatches,
from the powers that oppress.
We do not know the way, but you guide us.
You lead us in paths of love and justice.
You gather us here at your table.
We come with all your sheep, even those not from this fold—
one flock, with one shepherd.
And so with all Creation we join in singing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He was a shepherd to the poor
who fed the hungry, tended to the wounded,
and and guided those seeking deeper life.
He laid down his life for his flock,
but you raised him from the dead.
With him we too have passed from death to life,
because his love abides in us.

[… The Blessing and Covenant …]*

In the Covenant of God established in Christ’s body,
we know that God will always be with us in grace.
By the Covenant established in Christ’s blood we know
that neither death nor sin shall separate us from the love of God.
Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death
we will fear no evil, for you are with us.
Your rod and your staff give us comfort.
Receiving the Body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, O God, and on these gifts,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
In your Spirit you empower us to love our enemies
and to bring justice to a world of suffering.
You prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies.
Renew your Holy Spirit within us, and fill us with your grace,
to serve as the Body of Christ in this world.
Grant us the power of your Spirit to witness by our love and forgiveness,
and to humbly serve the poor, for the sake of the healing of the world.
You anoint our heads with oil,
and our cup overflows.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all glory and honor is yours, our Mother and Father,
now and forever.
Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives,
and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

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. Trusting in your gentle leading, may we follow you into the world to share your love and to do your will, to tend the lost and wounded and hungry for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and the Spirit 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 in the green pastures of your love. Call us out now, and lead us in paths of love and justice for the sake of the healing of all Creation, in the power of your Spirit and the company of the risen Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You lead us beside clear waters and restore our souls. Send us into the world, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit, with deep trust in your care, the deep peace of your presence, and the deep compassion of those who have been given your love to share with others. Amen.

Suggested Songs

Children of the Resurrection ( Tune: HOLY MANNA or ODE TO JOY)

Christ is risen! Baptized in his death and rising, so are we.
Children of the resurrection, we are one now; we are free.
Fear no longer holds us, and we live with love courageously,
giving gifts and sharing love for God, who loves eternally.

* In this feast we greet the risen Christ, who calls us all in grace,
gathered into one and fed with love, we now are mercy’s face.
Now we are Christ’s risen Body; for the world we now are light,
children of the resurrection, radiant with eternal life.

* Without communion: “With glad hearts we greet the risen Christ …”

Dear Gentle, Watchful Shepherd (Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)

Dear gentle, watchful shepherd,
you lead us as we graze,
and guide, us when we wander,
to find again your ways.
And when we stray in darkness,
alone and lost and weak,
unseen, you still are with us,
your dear ones whom you seek.

We pray for those who struggle
through life all on their own,
who find no path to guide them,
who think they are alone.
You fold them in your mercy
in every lonely place,
and with your hand upon them
you bless them with your grace.

O lead us, loving shepherd
to seek the last and lost,
to love them with your passion,
and serve at any cost.
Send us to find the lonely,
forgotten and ignored:
it’s there that we shall meet you,
our saving, healing Lord.

Eternal Life (Original song)

This is how we will know eternal life:
we will love one another.
I lay down my life, all that is mine alone,
that we may be raised together.

We are not bound by any earthy thing
when our lives we surrender to God
whose love is eternal life,
and so we will love one another.

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.

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.