Today’s Service consisted of scriptures and a Hymn Sing; there was no sermon.
Worship— May 6
GREETING
Grace and Peace to you from God, our Creator and Companion, who calls us in the power of the Holy Spirit and makes us the Body of Christ..
Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” We open our heart to God’s love, so that we may love as Christ has loved us.
- PRELUDE
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Eternal God, you create us in beauty.
We sing your praise.
Loving Christ, you heal us and teach us and lead us with love and grace.
We sing your praise.
Holy Spirit, you live in us so we shine with your love.
We sing your praise. We worship in joy. Alleluia!
* SONG O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Blue hymnal # 57, v. 1,2,3,7
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG
LISTENING PRAYER
Let us pray. …
God of love, you create us each moment in tender love. Speak your Word to us in scripture, in prayer and in song. Fill us with your love, so that we may be your love song for the world, in the name and spirit of Jesus, Amen.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Acts.
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to Gentiles and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven.
At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six followers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?”
When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
RESPONSE: The Word of life. Thanks be to God.
* PSALTER
Please stand in body or in spirit for the Psalter, Psalm 98.
[Blue hymnal, page 818:1]
GOSPEL
Listen for the living word of God as you hear the good news from John’s Gospel.
Jesus said, “As my Abba God has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept Abba God’s commandments and abide in God’s love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Abba God. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that God will give you whatever you ask in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”
The Gospel of the Beloved, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God.
SONG The Gift of Love
Blue hymnal # 408
HYMN SING – Part 1
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of John
Everyone who trusts that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God.
Everyone who loves God loves the one who came from God.
We know we love God’s children when we love God and follow God’s commandments.
The love of God is this: that we follow God’s commandments.
God’s commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.
What is born of God conquers the world! Our trust in this is our victory.
Who is it who conquers the world?
Those who trust in Jesus, the Only Begotten of God.
HYMN SING – Part 2
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Please stand in body or in spirit as we affirm our faith.
[Blue Hymnal # 887]
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
We pray for all who are in need. We pray that by your grace in us we may be lovingly present for all who hurt in this world. This is my prayer.
This is our prayer.
We pray for one another, and ask your blessing on each person gathered here. Bless our church, and the whole Body of Christ, that we may be one in your love. This is my prayer
This is our prayer.
We pray for peace in the world, for the reconciliation of all peoples, for the healing of the earth and our reverence for it, and for the coming of your Reign of mercy and justice according to your promise. This is my prayer.
This is our prayer.
We pray as Jesus taught us to pray, asking you always to teach us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
The peace of Christ be with you. Response: And Also with you.
Share a sign of Christ’s peace with a neighbor.
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
OFFERING OUR GIFTS
Because we have been loved, we love others. We give of all our gifts, our lives and our offerings for the sake of the world.
* OFFERING SONG Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
Blue hymnal #94
* PRAYER
Let us pray.
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. Send us out, filled and changed by your love, to serve others for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG God Be with You till We Meet Again
Blue hymnal #672
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
God loves you deeply. Now Go and share that love with others, in the name of Christ. Amen