WELCOME
PRELUDE I Sing The Mighty Power of God – Rodriguez
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Through God’s holy breath, all things spring to life.
People: Through God’s holy word, all creation is called into being.
Leader: Through God’s holy love, we are connected as sisters and
brothers.
People: ThroughGod’sholyvoice,weare summonedtodiscipleship.
Leader: Through God’s holy embrace, we are welcomed into an
inclusive community.
People: In the congregation of God’s holy church, let all Christians join to sing,
and let us worship God.
*HYMN OF PRAISE Come, Christians, Join to Sing #150
Come, Christians, join to sing Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice, Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice; Alleluia! Amen!
Come, lift your hearts on high; Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky; Alleluia! Amen!
He is our guide and friend; To us He’ll condescend;
His love shall never end; Alleluia! Amen!
Praise yet our Christ again; Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain; Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore His goodness we’ll adore,
Singing forevermore, “Alleluia! Amen!”
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION (Unison)
God ofthe faithful and the fearful,Lord ofthe outcast and the downcast,
Savior ofthe strong
and the struggling, through Your grace You have summoned us to follow,
but we have often misunderstood our calling.
We have too quickly turned fromYour way withoutlistening to
Your teachings, and we have
too easily become indifferent without being aware of our neighbor’s needs.
We have desired more praise for our successes, and we have denied much
responsibility for our failures. We have harbored our grudges rather than
cherishing Your grace, and we have coveted control rather than compassion.
Forgive us, Lord, and redeem us from our sin. Fill us with the blessings
of new life, so that we may live as Your faithful disciples,
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord.
(Silent)
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS (adapted from Psalm 30:11-12)
Leader: By God’s grace, our mourning has been turned into dancing,
and the Lord has clothed us with joy
People: So we will always praise God and not be silent,
and we will give thanks to the Lord forever.
Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel:
People: Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
we are forgiven!
SCRIPTURE Joshua 24:14-18
14 “Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods ofthe Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it fromusthat we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whomwe passed; 18 and theLORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also willserve the LORD, for he is our God.”
SCRIPTURE John 21:1-19
1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
3 Simon Petersaid to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the rightside of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It isthe Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it wasthe Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15 When they had finished breakfast,Jesussaid to Simon Peter, “Simon son ofJohn, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt
because he said to himthe third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
MEDITATION Fireside Chats
ANTHEM The Strife is O’er, The Battle Done – Palestrina
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH from A Declaration of Faith, 8.2
We believe that God sends us to tell all nations
that Christ calls everyone to repentance, faith and obedience.
We are to proclaim by word and deed
that Christ gave himself to set people free
from sin and self-hatred, from ignorance and disease,
from all forms of oppression, and even from death.
We are to offer them in Christ’s name fullness of life now and forever.
We must not distort the gospel
by weakening its promises or demands,
by identifying it with oppressive structures,
by pointing to ourselves instead of Christ.
We must not restrict our proclamation to persons just like ourselves.
We invite people everywhere to believe in Christ and become his followers.
We urge them to join us in telling others the good news
and in struggling for justice, compassion, and peace.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND AN ALTERNATE FORM OF THE LORD’S PRAYER
. . . Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:
May the hallowing of Your name echo through the universe!
May the way of Your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
May Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
May Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope
and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For You reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.
– adapted from the New Zealand Prayer Book
INVITATION TO GIVE
PRAYER OF DEDICATION (Unison)
God of all goodness and grace, magnify the gifts of our time, our energy,
and our finances, so that Your work may be accomplished here and around
the world. As we give ourselves for the common good of all people, bless
all the individuals who participate in the Hunger Walk to alleviate food
insecurity in our community. Grant that our offerings would benefit all people,
and may we experience Your presence as we serve our neighbors through
food collection and advocacy. Use us, and all that we have, to enrich all
humanity with the grace that was fully revealed in Jesus Christ, for it is in
His name that we pray. Amen.
*HYMN That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright #121
That Easter day with joy was bright, The sun shone out with fairer light,
When, to their longing eyes restored, th’apostles saw their risen Lord.
O Jesus, King of gentleness, Do all our inmost hearts possess,
And we to You will ever raise The tribute of our grateful praise.
From every weapon death can wield, Your own redeemed forever shield;
O Lord of all, with us abide In this our joyful Eastertide.
*BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Victory in Jesus – Bartlett / Keveren