There are two sets of readings today for Ascension Sunday and the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

Acts 1:1-11 is a reintroduction by the author of Luke, summarizing the death and resurrection of Christ, and describing the Ascension a second time (the first time is another reading for today, Luke 24). Jesus’ parting words to the disciples is that it is not for them (or us) to know the time and place when the kingdom will be restored to Israel–suggesting that the disciples, and perhaps the author of Luke/Acts also still hoped for an earthly kingdom of Israel. However, Jesus was clear in Luke 17:21 that the kingdom or reign of God is within us–it is already present. Nonetheless, we still wait a day when Christ will come in a new way. As we waited in Advent, and waited in Lent, so now we continue to wait and watch for Christ to do something new, to enter the world and our lives in a new way. But as the disciples did, so we too often look in the wrong direction. We look for signs of the end of the world. We look for signs that things are getting better or getting worse. Rather, the reign of God is within us, and while we wait for Christ to do something new, we participate in the reign of God now.

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 is the only place in the New Testament where we hear what happened to the disciples after Judas betrayed Jesus, in how they chose a new “apostle” to replace him. Luke/Acts has a distinction between disciples and apostles–disciples can be any followers of Jesus, not just the twelve, but apostles becomes a term referring just to the twelve, and later to Paul–but in Paul’s letters and elsewhere in the New Testament, there is no distinction in terms for followers of Jesus. The number twelve of course was significant throughout the Scriptures and Jewish history, referring to the twelve tribes of Israel. By the time of Jesus, tribal distinction had faded except for the Levites and a few others, but after two exiles, most of the old distinctions were lost. In the belief of the restoration of the earthly kingdom of Israel, there was also a belief in the restoration of the twelve tribes–by having twelve apostles, the kingdom was ready to be restored.

Psalm 1 declares two choices: to follow the way of God or not. Those that follow God will have roots, will be fed spiritually, and will bear fruit in the world, whereas those that do not will have no place to stand before God but will be blown away, like chaff in the wind.

Psalm 47 is a song praising God for being above all earthly kings. God is the God of all people, as a king of kings.

Psalm 93 also describes God as a king, but the one who made the world, and the world responds to God’s kingship. God is greater than the world.

Luke 24:44-53 is the first ascension description by the author of Luke/Acts, going back to the scriptures of “Moses, the prophets and the psalms” to explain who Jesus was and the recent events of his death and resurrection. The disciples are “witnesses of these things” and are called to share the Good News, as we are called to continue to declare the Good News. Only Luke/Acts contain ascension stories–the other Gospels do not explain what happens to Jesus after the resurrection, and neither does Paul. As we understand our world and universe better than we did 2000 years ago, and we know that heaven is not necessarily above the earth, the ascension stories don’t make sense when read literally. We need to grow in our understanding of what the ascension means–a re/turning to a fuller relationship with God, and the Second Coming–re/turning to a fuller relationship with us and creation.

John 17:6-19 is part of Jesus’ final discourse, preparing the disciples for the crucifixion but also the resurrection, and that God will send The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to enter the disciple’s lives in a new way. Luke also mentions this, but John goes into greater detail (and has a different story of how the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in John 20). John prepares the disciples for times of mourning that will turn to joy. We all experience at one time or another the “absence” of God. We are in a place so dark that we cannot experience any joy nor understand where God is. John reminds us that even in those dark times, the light shines in the darkness and cannot be overcome. Our sorrow will turn to joy, but in that time of waiting, it is difficult. We must hold on to the love of God, knowing that God will come through.

Ephesians 1:15-23 shares that while Christ is with God, the church is the body of Christ, and is the fullness of Christ. This is the ascension in Paul (and students of Paul, as Ephesians was probably not written by Paul himself)–the church is the body of Christ on earth. Christ is one with God, and one with us through the body, the church.

1 John 5:9-13 looks to the promise of eternal life. While our testimony, our witness and sharing of what God has done in our lives, is important–the testimony of God, what God has done in the world is even greater. While the traditional belief has been that those who believe in Jesus are granted eternal life and those that do not believe don’t have it, there is a different understanding present here: those that have Jesus have life, because the new life in Christ begins now. As Christians sometimes we focus way too much on life after death instead of life before death.

I remember seeing a sign in a cathedral in England for the Christian Children’s Fund that read, “We believe in life before death.” I think this is important for us to remember, that as followers of Christ we believe in the promise of new life now. This is why we work for justice and peace in this world. This is why we stand against hate and stand for love. We believe there is new life now. We also believe that Christ will come into our lives in a new way, come into our world in a new way, and we work and act for justice, peace and reconciliation in helping to build up the reign of God, which is already present among us. But most importantly, we love because Christ first loved us and we continue to love in the name of God, to bring the message that new life begins now, a life that is before death, but more importantly, transcends death.

Call to Worship:
Leader: A new day has begun.
People: Hope wins!
Leader: A fresh start is granted.
People: Faith wins!
Leader: Today you have the opportunity to do something new.
People: Hope wins!
Leader: Christ is entering your life in a new way.
People: Faith wins!
Leader: Come, let us worship God, who is inviting us into life in a new way, a way that transcends death, a way of hope and faith.
People: Love wins! Let us worship Christ, who overcame death to give us new life!

Prayer of Confession:
Ancient of Days, we confess that we forget to truly live our lives. We go from one task to the next, we get too busy to notice the world around us. We ignore the poor and the hungry and push away our families because there is too much to do. We are caught up in the ways of the world that call us to rush and work hard. Forgive us, God, for not taking time for You. Forgive us, God, for not making time for our relationships. Forgive us, God, for not seeing our brothers and sisters, for putting the ways of the world above Your ways of love and compassion. Call us into the New Life You have given us now, so that we may live into the promise of eternal life. In the name of Jesus, who calls us to The Way, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
Whoever has Christ has life. We are called into the way of Christ, and no matter where we turn or fall away, we can always hear the voice of Christ calling us back. The promise of new life is always available. You are forgiven. You are loved. Come and follow Christ. Amen.

Prayer:
Holy Jesus, You came into our world to share with us the New Life that begins now and transcends death. You shared with us the ways of love and peace, to seek justice and mercy. When we fall away, loving Jesus, call us back. When we can’t feel Your way above the pace of the world, loving Jesus, slow us down. When we can’t hear Your voice above the buzzing of the world around us, loving Jesus, call to us again and again. Guide us into Your way, so that we might continue to build up Your reign that You created in us. We wait for You to come into our lives in a new way, to come into our world again, and we wait by continuing to seek justice and mercy, to love and care for our brothers and sisters in the world. Guide our feet always into the ways of Your peace and love. Amen.

My alternative suggestion: Acts 9:36-43
(special litany for Mother’s Day also included in the worship resources below)

The passage from Acts today briefly describes the “Pentecost Experience” that the Gentiles received, where they also spoke in tongues through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter orders them to be baptized, realizing that God’s love and grace know no bounds. We read this passage now, preparing us for our celebration of Pentecost and the reading of Acts 2:1-21 in two weeks.

As it is Mother’s Day, I offer an alternative suggestion of Acts 9:36-43, which is the raising from the dead of Tabitha, the only place in the New Testament where a woman is specifically referred to as a disciple. While we may infer that Mary Magdalene and many other women who followed Jesus were also disciples, the author of Luke-Acts specifically refers to Tabitha as a disciple. One who cared for the poor and widowed. Many became to believe because she came back to life according to the writer. On this day when we celebrate mothers, we also remember all women who have followed Christ and have modeled to us the Christian life. We also remember those who are widowed, whose children have passed on, and we remember those mothers who have gone before us. The story of Tabitha is a great alternative for this Sunday.

Psalm 98 is a psalm of praise, of music and dancing, and that all of creation rejoices in the presence of God the Creator. God’s faithfulness endures forever.

John 15:9-17 is part of the final discourse of Jesus, picking up where last week’s passage left off. Jesus declares that as God has loved Jesus, so Jesus loves his disciples. We are all part of God’s love, and we are called to abide in that love by loving one. Jesus tells us that his commandment is to love one another. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. There is no greater love than loving our neighbor, caring for others above ourselves. Christ laid down his life for all of us, cared for all of us greater than himself. This is the love that God calls us to.

1 John 5:1-6 declares that whoever loves God loves one another: “Whoever loves the parent loves the child.” Not only an appropriate passage for Mother’s Day, but another reminder that God loves us and only requires of us to show the same love to others. When we live into this kind of love, we live out our faith, which conquers all our fears, conquers all the ways of the world, and calls us into the reign of God.

On this Sunday, we are reminded of our mothers and those who have been like mothers to us, but we are also called to walk in the way of love, which is Christ’s commandment. Like Tabitha, we are called to seek out the least, the suffering, the marginalized around us. Jesus tells us that all who know his voice know the Way, and the Way of Christ is love. Love calls us into communion with those who are separated from us. Love calls us to seek justice for those who are suffering. Love calls us into speaking the ways of peace when the voice of the world calls us to war. Love calls us simply to love one another, as Christ first loved us.

Call to Worship:
Leader: Love one another.
People: This is The Way of Christ.
Leader: Serve one another.
People: This is The Way of Christ.
Leader: Live in peace with one another.
People: This is The Way of Christ.
Leader: Seek justice for one another.
People: This is The Way of Christ.
Leader: We are called to walk, act, speak and live all of our lives with the love of Christ Jesus.
All: Come, let us follow The Way, let us love one another, and let us worship Christ our Savior.

Litany for Mother’s Day (from Isaiah 66:7-9, 12-13; 42:14; 54:13; 54:1)
Leader: Midwifing God, the Prophet Isaiah declared that You are the one who delivers us.
People: We remember that You are Mother and Father to all of us, all of us are Your children.
Leader: Mothering God, You bring forth new life in our midst.
People: We honor the mothers around us, and all who care and love children.
Leader: Grandmother God, You comfort us in our time of grieving and sorrow.
People: We remember our mothers and grandmothers who have passed on, for all those we miss on this day.
Leader: Teaching God, You have taught us to honor our mothers and fathers and have taught us the ways of love.
People: We remember those who have been like mothers to us, giving wisdom and guidance in our lives.
Leader: Creator God, we remember that we are all created in Your image
People: We honor and respect all women in our midst, mothers and aunts and sisters and friends.
Leader: We honor and remember these great women, loving God, who You have sent into our lives.
People: Mothering God, guide us into ways of honoring and respecting women around our world, working towards justice and liberation, health and safety for all women and girls. In the name of Christ, who like a mother hen desires to gather us together, we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession:
God of Steadfast Love, we confess that our love is short-sighted. We love our families and friends, we love those close around us, we show partiality to those in positions of power over us, and we ignore those who seem irrelevant. We are selfish with our love, loving those who will love us, who will help us. Forgive us, loving Jesus, for not loving the way You did, by laying down Your life for the lost and the least, the poor and the broken. Forgive us, loving Jesus, for being short-sighted, and not seeing our brothers and sisters in the world. Call us back into the ways of Your love, away from the ways of the world. In the name of Jesus the Christ, the Love of God, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (from 1 John 5):
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. Christ’s commandment is to love one another. Do this, and live. Amen.

Prayer:
Spirit of Love and Life, come into our lives in a new way. Call us away from the voice of the world to listen to You, and Your call, Your commandment, to love one another. Guide us to seek out the lost and least, the forgotten and lonely. Remind us that when we love one another, we know Your love. You came into our lives as one who loved us just as we were; call us into this same kind of love. You know our faults, our wounds, our brokenness, and You make us whole and renewed. Lead us out into the world to love one another as You have loved us. In the name of Christ, our Gentle Shepherd, we pray. Amen.

As we read through Acts during the season of Easter, we read of the witnesses of the early church, of Peter’s proclamations and the acts of the early church as the first believers came together in the time after Jesus’ ascension. We turn from stories of Peter, to an early apostle called Philip. Philip, like others in Acts, is told in a vision to go to a certain place so he can have an encounter with one who does not yet know Jesus. Like Lydia in chapter 16, he already believes in the One True God, and he has come to Jerusalem to worship this God and is reading the scriptures of this people that worships the one God. The Ethiopian (a generic term in those days referring to anyone from Africa south of Egypt) Eunuch was reading Isaiah, wanting to know more about God but must have also heard about this Jesus. He is reading in particular a passage from Isaiah on the suffering servant in chapter 53, verses that were taken by Christians in the generations after Christ’s death and resurrection to explain who Jesus was in the Hebrew scriptures. The Eunuch, having the scriptures interpreted to him, by Philip, as referring to Jesus, is ready to be baptized, and seeing water, asks Philip to baptize him immediately. As soon as Philip baptizes him, Philip is taken away by the Spirit of God. A story that begins in mystery–an angel coming to speak to Philip–ends in mystery, with Philip being taken away to a northern region. But in the midst of the mystery, the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch leads to a conversation and a conversion.

Psalm 22:25-31 sings of God answering the prayers of those who are suffering–God will feed the poor, and bring justice. All peoples will be gathered to God and shall worship. All people shall turn to God, even “a people yet unborn”–the generations past and the generations to come will come to worship God because God is faithful, and God’s intention is for all people to draw into relationship with God.

John 15:1-8 is part of Jesus’ final discourse, rich in metaphor. Jesus declares that he is the true vine and that God is the vinegrower, the gardener, and we are the branches. Echoing back to images in Isaiah and Ezekiel of the vineyard of God, Jesus uses the metaphor more intimately. It is not about pruning out people, but pruning out the sin within each of us so that we can bear more fruit. If we don’t, we wither and fade and are useless, but all of us need pruning. All of us have places where we want to grow wild, where we don’t care how our actions may cause harm to others. We need to be pruned to bear fruit, to make the whole vine useful.

1 John 4:7-21 reminds us that the fruit we bear is love. Love comes from God, and in order to love God, we have to love others. We cannot love God when we don’t show love to others, when we don’t love our brothers and sisters in the world. There is no fear in love, the writer of 1 John tells us. There is no fear in reaching out to the homeless and the stranger, the immigrant and the marginalized. There is no fear in reaching out in love to those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other diseases. There is no fear in reaching out to those of different faith traditions or none at all. God is love, and perfect love casts out fear.

We should not be afraid to reach out to those who are different from us. The book of Acts is full of such encounters, as the one of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch that we read this Sunday. The Ethiopian is not only of a different ethnicity, language and culture; by being a eunuch, he is of a different sexual identity, a different class identity. How can Philip identify with him? But by the Holy Spirit, he does. The psalmist reminds us that God is calling all people together from all ends of the earth and all generations. God’s desire is unity, for all of us to recognize each other as brothers and sisters, and to love one another. We need to examine ourselves, to allow ourselves to be pruned by God, for God to take away the sin in our lives that separates us from others, that keeps us from seeing our brothers and sisters in the world, so that we can bear fruit, reach out beyond our fears and touch the lives of those in need around the world.

Call to Worship:
Leader: Let us love one another, for love is from God.
People: God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Leader: Let us reach out to those in need, for they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
People: God’s love calls us to recognize our family, to see Christ in each other.
Leader: Let us move beyond the margins and out of our comfort zone, into the world around us.
People: God’s perfect love casts out all fear.
Leader: Come, let us worship our God, who is Love.
People: Come, let us worship in one spirit as the family of God.

Prayer of Confession:
Holy One, we confess to You that we have fallen short. We don’t always love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We hold grudges, we judge others, we brush off those who call upon us for help. We do not always see the needs around us and focus on our own busy lives. Forgive us, O God, for not loving others as You have loved us. Forgive us when we fail to keep Your commandment to love one another. Restore in us the willingness to reach beyond our comfort zone, to seek out those in need, and to let go of grudges and judging, remembering that all of us have sinned. Guide us back to Your ways of love, peace, and reconciliation. In the name of Jesus the Christ, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (from 1 John 4):
God is love. We love because God first loved us. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us. Go forth, sharing God’s love and forgiveness. Amen.

Prayer:
Spirit of Life, we come to You seeking greater meaning in our lives, greater purpose in our work, greater hope in our world. Call us into relationship with our brothers and sisters who are different than us. Call us to seek out those whose world experiences challenge our own, so that we might seek You in the face of others. Call us into Your ways of love by calling us to share our lives with others. Guide us so that we do not just lend a helping hand, but that we reach out and get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ, for You have called us not to just help, but to love one another. Hold us to this call on our lives, to love our neighbors, all who are in our world, as ourselves, as our brothers and sisters in You. Amen.

We continue our Easter celebration by reading through Acts and hearing the stories of the early Christians in the short time after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter and the other disciples continue to proclaim to the religious leaders and the crowds that gather that Jesus is the Messiah, that he was crucified and was raised by God. They continue to witness to Jesus. As Jesus, when he performed miracles, always glorified God and not himself, so the disciples when miracles occur glorify Jesus and not themselves. Jesus, who emptied himself, becoming humble to the point of going to the cross, gave his life for others and for God, and so we, too, live for others and for God, not for our own glory.

Psalm 23, the most famous psalm, sings of God as our shepherd, the one who walks and guides us throughout our life, who never leaves our side. The shepherd stays with us even through the valley of the shadow of death, but also guides us to the still waters and green pastures.

As we stay with the shepherd image, we hear the words of Jesus in John 10:11-18, Jesus the Good Shepherd. Jesus takes the shepherd image further–not only will God never leave our side, Jesus will give his life for us. Jesus’ desire is that we will follow him, that we will know his voice and follow his ways. We are called to Jesus, and Jesus calls us into God’s love.

And the voice of Jesus calls us to love one another. In 1 John 3:16-24, we are reminded that the greatest commandment is to love one another. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, the greatest commandments are twofold: to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. In John’s Gospel, however, the New Commandment is just one, and it is to love one another (John 13:34). The writer of 1 John carries this tradition forward, reminding us to believe in the name of Jesus, and to love one another.

The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd. So we have come to know the voice of God through the voice of Jesus, calling us to love one another, with a love that puts others before ourselves, with a love that is humble and looks to God’s ways instead of our own greed and desires. We are reminded that this Jesus shows us God’s love, and that God is the Shepherd who will never leave our side, through good times and bad, through the valley of the shadow of death–God is always present.

Call to Worship:
Leader: Listen, God is calling you!
People: We hear the cries of the hungry children in our community and around our world.
Leader: Look, God is seeking you!
People: We see the homeless in our streets and shelters in need.
Leader: Reach out, God is taking your hand!
People: We feel the hands of youth reaching out in need of help, guidance and friendship.
Leader: Search your heart, God is calling you!
People: The home-bound and the sick are in need of our prayers and companionship.
Leader: Listen, God is calling you!
People: We hear You, O God! We see You, O God! We feel You and we perceive You, O God!
All: Come, let us worship God, who calls us into this world to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

Prayer of Confession:
Loving God, we confess that we have failed to hear Your voice calling us, though the cries of the world are deafening. We are overwhelmed with the need to the point we feel helpless. How can we possibly make a difference? Forgive us, O God, for failing to act because the problems seem too big for us. Forgive us, O God, when we become focused on our own problems and worries instead of seeing Your face in our neighbors and around the world. Call us back to You, so that we might hear Your voice, seek Your ways, and love our neighbors as ourselves, our brothers and sisters in You. In the name of Christ, the one who lays down his life for all of us, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want. The Good Shepherd guides us to green pastures and leads us to still waters. The Good Shepherd restores our soul. We are forgiven. We are renewed and we are loved. Go forth sharing this Good News. Amen.

Prayer:
Gentle Shepherd, we know Your voice. We know Your call upon our lives. Open our ears and our hearts to answer Your call and to follow You, even when it is difficult, even when we do not want to. Help us to turn away from the voices of the world that call us to want more, to desire what others have, to work for earthly success. Call us again so we can hear Your voice and see Your face in the faces of our neighbors around us, so that we can help lead others to still waters and green pastures, where all have enough to eat and live. May we work towards Your vision of justice and peace in our world. In the name of Christ, our Good Shepherd, we pray. Amen.

My suggested alternative readings for Earth Day: Genesis 1:1-2:4a or Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 104:5-31; Mark 1:35-39; Revelation 22:1-5

Acts 3:12-19 is Peter’s speech to those who had gathered to him and John after a man who was disabled from birth was healed. Peter declares to them that he and John are witnesses to Jesus the Christ, who is the same God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Peter declares to them that this Jesus is the Messiah that was foretold of through Scripture, and that even though they may have rejected Christ they have the opportunity to repent and believe. So we, today, are witnesses of Jesus the Christ as being of the same God that created heavens and earth–but we witness not only in what we say, but in what we do. Peter’s healing in the name of Jesus restored a man who had been separated from temple worship by his economic status–he had to become a beggar–and Peter’s healing not only makes the man to walk, but more importantly restores him fully to society.

Psalm 4 is a prayer to God for deliverance–at first the psalmist demands for God’s answer, but as the psalm continues, there is confidence and assurance that God will answer, God will deliver–but that one must remain faithful and not do anything rash in their anger–do not sin, the psalmist says, but ponder in silence.

Luke 24:36b-48 is another account of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the Resurrection–last week we read John’s, this week we read Luke’s account. Again, Christ appears with the greeting “Peace be with you.” Very similarly, the disciples are not sure until Jesus shows them his hands and his feet. In this account, however, Jesus “opens” their minds to understand the scriptures. Jesus also declares that they “are witnesses of these things” (vs. 58). As with the Acts passage, the disciples who experienced the Risen Christ are witnesses to not only Jesus but to how the scriptures have also been witness to God’s work in Christ Jesus.

1 John 3:1-7 reminds us that we are the children of God; therefore, we are the witnesses to the world of God’s love. We are witnesses not only in what we say but in how we live, and just like last week’s passage from 1 John, if we say we are without sin we deceive ourselves. Our lives are witnesses of Jesus to the world, because the world does not know Christ. If we have Christ in our lives, we must live as Christ, so that we can be true witnesses to God’s love in Christ Jesus.

We are witnesses with our very lives to Christ as well as witnesses of how Scripture is interpreted. We all know people who witness to the Bible by using passages to condemn and hurt others. Christ uses Scripture to open our hearts and minds to the fullness of God’s message and to witness God’s love to the world. We are the best witness to the Bible and to Jesus, both of which have been used to counter the very message they proclaim: God’s love is for the whole world.

For Earth Day, I suggested two possible first Scriptures: the familiar story of creation in Genesis, in which humankind is created to care for the earth, where the whole of creation is created and called good; and a less familiar story of creation in Proverbs, in which Wisdom personified as a woman recalls the wisdom in which God created the whole earth and humanity. Creation is a joyous event, something to be celebrated, not condemned; creation is to be cared for, not cursed and abused.

Psalm 104 is a song of praise of God’s creation, of all that God has created out of wisdom and goodness. Every plant, every creature, every season–every aspect of creation has a purpose, and God is the creator, the gardener, the provider of all creation.

The Hebrew Scriptures are full of references to the goodness of God’s creation and God as creator, with humankind as both co-creators and stewards of creation. The New Testament has fewer references, but the importance of creation is not lost. In Mark 1:35-39, Jesus takes time away from others and goes out to a deserted place to pray. Jesus often goes to a mountain or hillside, to a wilderness or desert or a garden, to be alone and pray. Jesus also find’s God’s presence in creation as many of the prophets did before him.

Revelation 22 speaks of the new heaven and new earth, and in the new Jerusalem is the tree of life bearing fruit in its season. Even in the heavenly reign, there is new creation. God’s design for the world, for life, is life abundantly–it is not all about us human beings, but about all of creation.

God has called us to be witnesses of God’s love in the world. God has also called us to be good stewards of God’s creation. The best way we can witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus is to love our neighbor as ourselves and to care for God’s creation as God intended with our creation.

Call to Worship (or Litany for Earth Day):
Leader: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God called forth light from the darkness.
People: God said, “It is good!”
Leader: In the beginning God created the clouds and rain and air that we breathe.
People: God said, “It is good!”
Leader: In the beginning God created the earth and all the water upon the earth, and all plants and vegetation.
People: God said, “It is good!”
Leader: In the beginning God created the moon and the stars and the sun, to mark our days and nights and tides.
People: God said, “It is good!”
Leader: In the beginning God created the birds of the air and the creatures of the sea, blessing them.
People: God said, “It is good!”
Leader: In the beginning God created all of the animals on the earth, including us human beings, and God blessed them and us.
People: God said, “It is good!”
Leader: From the beginning, God has called us to care for all of creation, to bless it, to help the earth bring forth life, to keep our water and air clean, so that life can continue to thrive.
People: Let us fulfill God’s call to keep creation good, to bless and grow. Let us worship our Creator God!

Prayer of Confession:
Author of Salvation, we confess to You that we have failed as witnesses of Your love and Grace. We have condemned instead of blessed. We have used Scripture to hurt instead of to heal. We have kept others out in the name of Jesus instead of welcoming as Jesus first welcomed us. We have failed our first calling, to be witnesses of Your love in creation, by polluting our air and water, by contaminating the earth and failing to care for Your creatures. Forgive us for our shortcomings, for not living out the first calling on our life, for not witnesses Your love and peace in our own lives. In the name of Jesus, who calls us back to our first calling, to be God’s child, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
In Christ there is restoration and forgiveness. In Christ we find healing and wholeness. In Christ their is life and resurrection. We repent; we are forgiven; we turn back and are restored to Christ’s ways. Let us go forth, as witnesses to Christ’s love, forgiveness and life. Amen.

Prayer:
Creator God, on this Earth Day we remember that all comes from You. You created this beautiful earth for us to enjoy and live and love upon. We have put our own wants above the needs of other people and other living beings. We have failed to care for creation and failed to witness to the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. We know You continue to call us back to Your ways, to live into Your image as caretakers for the earth You created. Call us forth in this time and place to new ways of witnessing Your love in the world. Guide us in ways we may create instead of condemn, where we can live in this world and bring renewal of resources so that all may live and enjoy Your creation. In the name of God our Creator, Christ our Savior and the Holy Spirit our Guide we pray. Amen.

Music Suggestions:
“All Creatures Of Our God and King” would be an appropriate hymn for Earth Day as well as continuing the Easter season. Another newer hymn found in some hymnals is “Touch the Earth Lightly,” which is all about God’s creation. Several hymns about creation such as “For the Beauty of the Earth” and “Morning has Broken” would also be good choices, as well as several thanksgiving hymns for harvest time.

As we enter into the season of Easter, we read from the Acts of the Apostles, remembering how the early Christians fared in the days after Jesus’ resurrection. We hear the beginnings of the early church, the house-meetings, the agape love feasts, the witnesses and martyrs, and all of the disciples of Jesus.

Acts 4:32-35 recalls the beginnings of the church as also described in 2:42-47, but the message is even stronger that in the early church, the believers held all things in common–there were no possessions. The community’s purpose was to give testimony and witness to Jesus’ resurrection, and they lived out the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. For centuries since, we the church have attempted to recreate this fellowship and have fallen short. Our desire for what others have limits our relationships and comes into conflict with the desire of Christ, that we be one body, one church family, and that there be none among us in need.

The psalmist sings in 133 about they wondrous joys of being together in community, of being part of God’s family. God’s blessing is life forever, a life that is in communion with all of our brothers and sisters. Indeed, our practice of God’s family on earth is preparing us for the heavenly home we hope for–a home in which we are in fellowship, in community, with all those who have gone before us, with our brothers and sisters.

John 20:19-31 tells the familiar story of Jesus appearing the disciples after his Resurrection, and how they did not believe until they had seen. And there is the story of “Doubting Thomas.” Thomas is not unlike his brothers, he just was not present when Jesus showed his scars the first time. Perhaps Thomas is like most of us–we want to believe, but there are some things beyond our comprehension, things that blow apart the very understanding of how our world works: Jesus continues to turn the tables on our thinking, even in the resurrection.

The lectionary follows much of 1 John in the season of Easter. In this first portion, we are reminded that Jesus is the Word and the Light, and that through Christ we have forgiveness. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, as Paul reminds us in Romans 8; however, we also need to recognize that we all sin. If we say we are without sin, we are lying to ourselves. To walk the Christian path, we have to give fully of ourselves, and that requires our honesty. We need to recognize that we are all sinners, that we still sin, and that through Christ we are forgiven. We need to constantly recognize our need to turn back to God, for God is the light of the world, and what is hidden in darkness will be revealed in the light.

Perhaps this Sunday could be called “Doubters Sunday.” Celebrate the doubts that you have, for doubting is part of the journey of faith. Recognize that at times the whole resurrection story is a bit hard to swallow. Honor the times you have doubted God’s existence when there is so much pain and suffering in the world. Accept that at times the Bible does not seem to make sense. But also recognize that you and me are still sinners. Honor the fact that we need another chance to turn back, to set our lives on right paths again. Accept that we need God, we need Christ in our lives, because if nothing else, Christ shows us the path to be our true selves, to be honest before God and the world. Stripped away of the easy answers given to us in Sunday School and the blind acceptance we may have been taught to hold onto, we are naked before God. We can fake it for others–either our religious sincerity, or our all-knowledgeable ego that says we don’t believe that anymore–but we cannot fake it before the Creator. And if God’s created image is in us, we cannot fake it before ourselves. Before God, everything is stripped away, our doubts and fears, our blind acceptance–we simply come before God as who we are. Christ knows who we are, knows that we have our faults and shortcomings, and continues to love and accept us as children of God.

Call to Worship:
Leader: The tomb was found empty!
People: What does this mean?
Leader: Jesus has risen!
People: What does this mean?
Leader: Jesus comes to us, saying “Peace be with you!”
People: What does this mean?
Leader: O ye of little faith, do not doubt, but believe!
People: What does this mean?
All: Come, let us walk the journey of faith, acknowledging our doubts but holding on to hope, for Christ is Risen!

Prayer of Confession:
Faithful Christ, we confess to You that our faith waivers and falls short. We allow doubts and fears to enter our lives and control our choices. We doubt the goodness of our brothers and sisters. We doubt our own ability to be of any help or hope to the world. We doubt the basics of our faith, that forgiveness is available, and that we through Christ also have the power and grace to forgive others. Christ, forgive us for our doubts and fears. Forgive us when we hold back instead of letting go. Call us to Your path of faithfulness. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
We have an advocate with God, in Jesus Christ, who forgives us and restores us. We are called away from the path of sin into the path of hope and reconciliation. May we invite others on the journey. Amen.

Prayer:
Almighty God, You called us into being and created us to be in community. We thank You for our church, for our brothers and sisters, this family of God. We are mindful that our community of faith extends beyond these walls and borders and into the whole world. You continue to call us to live in faithful community with others. May we be reminded of our foremothers and forefathers of the faith who gathered together and shared all they had with others. May we be reminded of how they broke bread together and praised You in worship and fellowship. May we live out their example in our world and reach out to others in need. God, call us away from the ways of the world, where we desire what others have and dwell on what we don’t have. Call us away from the ways of the world where we judge others by how they live against how we live. Call us away from the ways of the world that separate and dehumanize us. Guide us instead into Your way of love and justice, where we see each other as brother and sister, where we are called to live in communion with each other. May we continually walk towards building up Your kingdom on earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Mark 16:1-8 or John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43 or 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! We celebrate by looking back in our Hebrew scriptures to Isaiah, who spoke about a time of great celebration, of a time when death was no more. As Christians we celebrate the end of death by Christ’s resurrection; but the theme of new life, of a life where death has no power, has been a part of the prophetic tradition long before the first century. Isaiah gives the people hope through God’s promise, of a time where God will gather up all the people, prepare a great feast for all peoples, and death and sin are swallowed up forever. Paul eludes to this passage in 1 Corinthians 15, indicating that the idea of God’s design for life is carried over from the very beginning, from all time–God has desired life for us, and as Christians we see the fulfillment of this promise in Jesus the Christ, in his life, death, and his resurrection.

Part of the passage from Psalm 118 overlaps from the passage read on Palm Sunday, and is appropriate to share these words again in the light of the Resurrection. The psalmist in 118 sings for great joy for God’s deliverance, proclaiming the good works of God, who delivers even from death. “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord” (vs. 17). Our lives are witnesses to God’s goodness and grace, witnesses to the new life found on earth and the promise of resurrection.

Mark 16:1-8 is the briefest passage in the Gospels about Christ’s resurrection. The ending is so short and abrupt that transcribers of the Gospel had to add alternate endings because it appears to end mid-sentence in the Greek. And in Mark’s account, not even the women, who faithfully come to the tomb on that first morning, go out to proclaim the good news–instead, they flee in terror and amazement, and say nothing to anyone (vs. 8). The Resurrection of Jesus, though foretold in the Gospels, was never expected or understood by the people closest to Jesus. It is something new, something amazing, something so wondrous that it takes a while for it to sink in. Even today, the Resurrection remains a great mystery, misunderstood by many, something that cannot be fully comprehended. We try to fit the meaning of the Resurrection, of Jesus’ life and death and life again, into a box, but the box is flung open, for any time we try to trap the meaning of the Resurrection into one atonement theory or one viewpoint, we limit our own relationship with Christ and in our own understanding of the new life offered by Christ. Rather, perhaps we ought to be more like the women in Mark’s account–instead of going out and telling everyone what we think we know, we ought to tremble in awe and amazement at what God has done and continues to do–turning the world and life as we know it, upside down, to the point that life cannot be contained through death.

John 20:1-18 contrasts Mark 16 in giving more details than any account of the Gospels, an account in which Mary Magdalene is the first to see Jesus, but does not recognize him and mistakes him for the gardener. In many accounts of the Resurrection, including Luke’s Gospel, the disciples do not recognize the risen Christ at first. I suspect that they did not recognize the risen Christ because of their expectations, and similarly, why we at times struggle with the risen Christ in our own faith life–our expectations have been blown away by the Resurrection. Death is supposed to be final, but it is not. A beloved one is not supposed to come back, let alone come back with their very scars they left the world with. But Jesus recognizes each of his followers when he rises, and Jesus continues to recognize each one of us, even though we may not recognize Christ. Our expectations limit us, where Christ is limitless. Again, the world is turned upside down because of the Resurrection.

Acts 10: 34-43 shares Peter’s own account of the Resurrection as he tells the Gentiles–those who would not have been present to the Resurrection, those who never had heard a sermon by Jesus in the synagogue or witnessed his healing ministry. Peter proclaims that this Good News is for all people who believe, and that all people can receive forgiveness and the gift of new life in God through Jesus the Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 is also a proclamation to Gentiles as well as to Jews of the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. Paul speaks of God’s grace that has led Paul to salvation in Jesus the Christ, and that through the grace of God Paul has been able to live out the Gospel so that others have come to believe.

This is our purpose: to make our lives living witnesses to God’s love and grace found in Jesus the Christ. When we try to water-down the message into something simple, something we have to do to earn resurrection–it all falls apart. Rather than trying to put the message of Jesus into a nice packaged box, we need to recognize that God is blowing the boxes apart–God has turned the world upside down. There is nothing we can do to change that, we can only live into God’s love as witnesses of what God has done for the world–raising Christ from the dead, so that we too know that life, and God, and love, are all limitless. Christ is Risen!

Call to Worship (singing refrain is from All Creatures of our God and King):
Leader: The stone is rolled away and the tomb is found empty!
People (singing): Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Leader: We are called to proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection!
People (singing): Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Leader: Though doubt and fear may enter, hope and love are triumphant!
People (singing): Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Leader: Christ is Risen! Our lives are now witnesses to the new life in Christ!
People (singing): Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
All: Let us worship Christ, risen from the dead! (singing) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prayer of Confession:
Wondrous God, we confess that at times our doubts and fears override our hope and faith. Forgive us when we lose sight of the joy of Your love and instead fall into despair and gloom. Lift up our spirits, Lord, and help us to remember the promise of new life here and now, not just the hope of resurrection for the future. We give thanks for Your Son, Jesus the Christ, who continues to offer us new life, who continues to turn us around and upside down, who continues to break down the walls of death in our own life. Forgive us, restore us and renew us. In the name of our risen Savior, Jesus the Christ, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
The tomb is empty. The stone is rolled away. There is no darkness now, only light. God continues to renew us and restore us. We are forgiven, loved and restored, receiving the gift and promise of new life and resurrection now. Go and share the wondrous news of God’s love in Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Prayer:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Heaven and earth are full of Your love and life. Guide us into ways of living more fully into the life You have given us, so that our lives may shine as witnesses of Your love and grace, mercy and forgiveness. Draw us into deeper relationship with each other so that we might be moved to tear down the darkness and open up the light, by bringing Good News to the oppressed, the poor, the downtrodden, and the marginalized. Help us to witness the Resurrection in all we do and say. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16 or Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29;
Mark 11:1-11 (for Palm Sunday) or Mark 14:1-15:47 (for Passion Sunday, or shorter passage) or John 12:12-16; Philippians 2:5-11

There are a number of passages to choose from this Palm or Passion Sunday. Many churches choose to focus solely on the Palms, but in our busy society, not everyone will be able to attend Holy Week services such as Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. Even if you focus on the palm passages, I feel you need to bring in the message of the Passion as well, because for many, the next time you see them will be on Easter Sunday celebrating the Resurrection. But you cannot get to the Resurrection without going through the cross.

Isaiah 50:4-9a speaks from the Suffering Servant voice, reminding us of the innocent who are often portrayed as guilty. The servant does not strike back, does not return violence for violence but maintains righteousness. While as Christians it is easy for us to read Jesus into these passages, we must remember that previous readers understood these passages differently. They saw Israel as the sufferer, and indeed Isaiah leads into that interpretation in chapter 42. What we can learn from reading this passage is that God is indeed on the side of the innocent, and that God is the defender of the innocent and righteous. God’s ways are not to be abandoned, and God will indeed bring deliverance.

Psalm 31:9-16 is the voice of another innocent who is suffering, who faces adversity, but trusts in God and seeks God’s deliverance. Others around may plot against the innocent, but God knows the truth. Even though the psalmist feels such despair, the psalmist claims trust in God and prays for deliverance.

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 sings of triumph. This psalm was sung as a celebration of entering the temple of God in Jerusalem. Jesus quotes this passage while in the temple, but rather than celebration, it is often read as a warning, as Jesus quotes it soon after overturning the moneychangers tables.

Mark 11:1-11 is the familiar tale of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey instead of a white horse, hearing the people cry out “Hosanna, save us!” While we often say that it is the same people who will shout “Crucify” later in the week, I’m not sure that interpretation is correct. The people who have come to see Jesus, who shout “Hosanna!” may not have been the crowds that gathered later, the crowds made up of religious fanatics and leaders who have had enough of this Jesus and Messiah talk, instead of the people who were taught and healed by Jesus. Maybe they were the same people, but it’s not clear.

Mark 14:1-15:47 is the lengthy description in Mark of Jesus’ last supper, betrayal, arrest and crucifixion. While there is much one can focus on in this passage, I am moved this year by Jesus in the garden. This scene is in Matthew and Luke as well; there is a lengthy prayer passage in John but it does not take place in the garden. However, what catches my eye is that Jesus’ close companions have fallen asleep, yet we have a recording of what Jesus prayed. Who knows if this was the actual prayer Jesus prayed, as who could have written it down, but we know that Jesus was very, very human in these last hours. No miracles, no displays of power, no healings (other than possibly the servant’s ear in Luke’s account)–but a human being who does not want to die, except that he understands it is God’s will, to bring about life. It is the most human part of the Gospels, where Jesus is so lonely and his friends are falling asleep and don’t understand what is going to happen, and Jesus prays to Abba, Father, for strength. It is Jesus’ own faith in God’s steadfast love, as sung by the Psalmists and the Suffering Servant, that moves me. Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son, and Jesus is as human as you and me, innocent and yet committed to death.

John 12:12-16 is another account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, but in John’s Gospel the people proclaim, “The King of Israel!” It is clear that Jesus is being presented against the leadership of Rome, but uses the prophet Zechariah to prove that Jesus is the one prophesied about in the Hebrew Scriptures, that this is God’s doing, not the people’s, not a political move.

Philippians 2:5-11 is the old, familiar hymn of Jesus being humble and did not exploit his Messiah-ness, his God-ness, but instead emptied himself upon a cross. Jesus became human so that we might know God more fully and deeply. Paul (and later, Elvis) sings that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Unlike the Greeks, who had godlike humans and humans that became gods, Jesus is God, but becomes fully human as well so that we might know God. Not to have power over us, not to fight other gods as in the Greek and Roman pantheons, but in order that human beings may know God’s love and know that nothing on earth or in heaven can ever separate them from God’s love.

In the wake of Trayvon Martin’s killing and the aftermath that he was unarmed and shot, the cry of the innocent is ever more in our minds. God is on the side of the innocent. God defends the undefendable. God hears the cries and brings deliverance. However, God’s justice is about restoration, not punishment. Seeking revenge against Mr. Zimmerman or the police that did not arrest him does not bring restoration, it brings revenge. While nothing can bring back young Trayvon, we can work to end racial profiling and violence. We must work to speak out for the innocents, whether they are sitting in prison for crimes they didn’t commit or gunned down for looking suspicious. We must stop the violence first and foremost. And as we recall Jesus, we see Jesus in the life of Trayvon, who looked too suspicious as a rabble-rouser and reformer and didn’t behave at all the way they thought a Messiah should. Jesus is in Trayvon, and Jesus is in you and me. But we must remember, from the scriptures of old, that God hears the cries of the innocent, and will bring justice.

Call to Worship:
Leader: We cheer on leaders who say what we want to hear.
People: Hosanna, Save Us!
Leader: We cheer for justice that calls for life imprisonment and death sentences.
People: Hosanna, Save Us!
Leader: We cheer on with the crowds that drown out other voices.
People: Hosanna, Save us!
Leader: We desire to gather with the people welcoming Jesus, but we know all too well we may be the very ones to shout “Crucify Him!”
People: Hosanna, Jesus, Save Us!
Leader: Come, let us worship our God with singing and palms and praise, knowing God loves us and will restore us.

Prayer of Confession:
God of Justice and Mercy, we know that we have fallen silent when we should have spoken up. We have ignored the cries of the innocent and joined the crowds in calls of judgment. We have mistaken justice for revenge and have sought punishment to ease our pain. Forgive us, God, for not seeing our own faults, our own sins, and for not holding ourselves responsible for our inaction and injustice. Restore us, God, to the ways Jesus taught us, to drop our stones and instead seek forgiveness and restoration. Call us into the paths of love and reconciliation, knowing Your mercy extends to all of us, Your grace is a gift, and there is nothing we can do to deserve or earn it. Guide us into living into Your forgiveness, peace and reconciliation, in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
God has opened our ears and our hearts to know God’s love and forgiveness. There is nothing we need to do other than love one another and love God, for all things come from God’s love. Go forth knowing You have been forgiven and You are restored to God. Live in the way of Christ. Amen.

Prayer:
God of Grace and Glory, we come singing with palms and praises, knowing that our efforts to be faithful to You at times fall short. We, like the disciples of Jesus’ day, will at times run away, betray and deny our Savior. We seek Your guidance in our lives to be more authentic, more true to You, so that we might share Your love with the world in a way that the world will know it is from You. All too often, we wrap up Your gift of love in our own expectations and demands, to where Your gift of love may seem too great a burden to others. Peel off the layers that we hide You in, Lord, and guide us into living Your love faithfully in this world. In the name of Jesus the Messiah we pray. Amen.

In this Sunday before Holy Week, we prepare for the New Covenant. We have been reflecting back upon God’s covenants throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, from Noah to Moses, and now we recognize a new covenant that God has written upon our hearts, where we know God, where God forgives our sins and remembers them no more. Jeremiah, speaking to a people who have continually failed to remember God and their part in the covenant, brings this message of hope, where God’s covenant cannot be forgotten because it is within one’s own heart. No longer will it appear that God has failed them when their leaders fail them, because God is bypassing the religious leaders and entering one’s own heart.

Psalm 51:1-12 is a song seeking forgiveness, where the psalmist confesses their sins and desires for God to show mercy and to be restored. The psalmist asks God to create a clean heart, where the writer can be fully restored to God. In reflection with the Jeremiah passage, we remember that God will forgive us and remember our sins no more by writing God’s covenant on our hearts.

Psalm 119:9-16 is from a different perspective, the desire of someone wishing to avoid sin and one who wants to stay close in relationship to God. The psalmist’s heart is open to seek God, the heart of where God’s covenant is written.

John 12:20-33 speaks of the way of the Cross, which is to die to this world. Those who seek to save their life will lose it, and Jesus says those who are willing to lose (in John’s Gospel the word is hate) their life will keep it. We must be willing to die to the things of this world, the sin that separates us, the greed and desire of worldly ways. We need a new heart to be open to God, and in order to have a new heart, we must be willing to follow Jesus, love others and love God, and put aside our own worldly desires and greed. Jesus models this in his life by glorifying God (Abba) and not himself. Throughout the Gospels, whenever Jesus performs a miracle, Jesus does so to show the glory of Abba God, not of himself. In this strange passage, where Jesus calls upon Abba God to glorify God’s name, God’s voice echoes back like thunder. Jesus says this was for the sake of the people, not for his own–that they might turn to Abba God, Creator God, God above–and recognize that in order to truly live, they must be willing to die to the world.

The new covenant with God is to give our lives over to Christ, to lose our lives, and even to use the strong language of Jesus, hate our lives. We need to be willing to put aside our own desires for our life to look to the needs of others–to love other and love God, not the success and ways of this world. As we prepare for the journey to the Cross of Holy Week, we recognize that our hearts are made new with God. The desires of this world have been replaced with the desire to intimately know God and to love our neighbors as ourselves, and God’s covenant is written on our hearts, to forgive our iniquity, and remember our sin no more.

Call to Worship:
Leader (whispers): Listen! God is calling you!
People: The voice of the world is calling us to work harder. The voice of the world says I’m not busy enough.
Leader (speaking softly): Listen! God is calling you!
People: The voice of the world says I need more. The voice of the world says I should want more.
Leader (speaking at a normal level): Listen! God is calling you!
People: The voice of the world says I can be better. The voice of the world says I can be richer.
Leader (loudly): Listen! God is calling you!
People: The voice of the world says there’s too much trouble. The voice of the world says I can’t do enough.
Leader (shouting): Listen! God is calling YOU!
People: The voice of God is calling us to turn! The voice of God calls us to repent! The voice of God calls us to new life!
All: Come, let us follow God’s voice, God’s word–Jesus, the living word of God!

Prayer of Confession:
Abba God, we come to You knowing that we have gone astray from Your ways. We have sought the pleasure and comfort of worldly gain. We have desired more and have striven to have more things, forgetting the needs of others and our earth that You gave us to care for. Most of all, we have turned our hearts away from You to love the things of this world more than You. Forgive us. Create in us clean and renewed hearts, where Your love may dwell. Call us back to the ways of love, justice, and peace that you modeled and taught for us. Call us to leave behind the ways of this world, to die to this world, to lose our life for Your sake, so that we may find New Life in You. In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (from Jeremiah 31):
God has put God’s law within us and has written it on our hearts. No longer shall we say to each other “Know the Lord” for we all shall know God, for God has forgiven our iniquity, and remembers our sin no more. Go forth, knowing that you are loved, forgiven, and restored; journey with Christ. Amen.

Prayer:
Loving Jesus, You have drawn us closer into relationship with the fullness of God by showing us that in order to love God, we need to love our neighbors as ourselves. Call us into deeper relationship with You by seeking to leave the desires of this world. Call us away from the temptations of worldly success and lead us into ways we can participate in Your reign here on earth. Call us to share the Good News of the New Life promised us at the Resurrection, recognizing that we live in a Good Friday world and that we must be Your light in the darkness. In the name of Christ, the Light of the World, we pray. Amen.

Blessings,
Rev. Mindi