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

[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.

We thank you, God, for in the beginning
you spoke your Word and all Creation came into being,
all things, all living beings, one in your Word.
You have claimed all your children in love
and made us siblings;
you saved us all together on one ark;
you set us all free, judging all powers of oppression;
we have all passed through the same Red Sea.
You make a home for us, a promised land,
a fertile planet for all living beings.
In the Spirit of Christ you gather us as one people, one Body;
we are part of one another, and made whole in one another.
And so with all your children we gather at this table.
With all Creation and the whole company of heaven
we sing your praise with one voice.

            [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,
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:

             [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,
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.

____________
* 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, 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.

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.

May 18, 2025

Lectionary Texts

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

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

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

Preaching Thoughts

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

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

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

Call to Worship

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

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

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

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

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

Collect / Prayer of the Day

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

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

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

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

Listening Prayer

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

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

Prayer of Confession

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

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

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

Readings

from Revelation 21.1-6

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


2.
                        To love

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

Response / Creed / Affirmation

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

Eucharistic Prayer

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

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

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

     (The Blessing and Covenant)*

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

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

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

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

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

[Memorial Acclamation]

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

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

Prayer Of dedication / Sending

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

Prayer after Communion

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

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

Suggested Songs

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


Fulfill Your Love In Me       (Original song)

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

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

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

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


Like the sun rising      (Tune Morning Has Broken)

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

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

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

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


Love Will Bear Us Over      (Tune: HOLY MANNA)

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

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

May 4, 2025

Lectionary Texts

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

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

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

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

Preaching Thoughts

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

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

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

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

Call to Worship

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

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

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

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

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

Collect / Prayer of the Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Listening Prayer

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

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

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

Prayer of Confession

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

Response / Creed / Affirmation

[From Colossians 3.1-16]

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

Eucharistic Prayer

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

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

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

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

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *

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

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

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

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

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

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

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

Prayer after Communion

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

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

Suggested Songs

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

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

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


Come, Risen Christ     (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feed My Sheep     (Original song)

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

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

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

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


Psalm 23      (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

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

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

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

We Take This Moment (Tune: Gift of Love)

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

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

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

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

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