Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2020
Gathering as the Body of Christ
Welcome and Sharing of Announcements
Call to Worship
(Kruger Family)
Liturgist: In a world that cries out, “Fear me!”
People:
We will listen to Jesus’ words, “Don’t be afraid!”
Liturgist: In a world that wants us to hate the other…
People: We will live Jesus’ call to, “Love God. Love your neighbour, as you love yourself.”
Liturgist: In a world that radicalizes…
People: We, too, will be radical. Radical with our hospitality. Radical with our hope. Radical with our love.
Liturgist: Then come to this place, ready to be who we are called to be.
People: Let us gather together and worship God.
(Richard Bott)
Opening Prayer
(
Jodie Kruger
)
Ever-loving God, we bow before you in reverence. You search for us, care for us, and welcome us home. We belong to you. Transform us into your likeness, and feed us through your generous Word. As we wait for the Spirit make us more and more signs of your hospitality, so your kingdom may come, on earth as in heaven. Amen.
(Nine Days of Prayers, 2012, posted on the Diocese of Canterbury website)
Opening Hymn
-
“I Love to Tell the Story” - UMH #156 vss 1,3,4
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Prayer Response
-
“Holy, Holy, Holy” - TFWS #2007 (2 times)
Holy, holy, holy. My heart, my heart adores you!
My heart knows how to say to you: You are holy, Lord!
Attention to the Word of God
Scripture Reading
- Romans 1:1-17
(Pete Seymour)
Paul, a servant[a] of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you - or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish - hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (NRSV)
Liturgist: The word of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God.
Message
- "
Ripples of Hospitality" - Pastor Seok-Hwan
Message in Music
(
Nancy Burns, soloist
)
“Amazing Grace"
Words: John Newton
,
19th Cent. USA melody
We Respond
Offertory Prayer
O God, you invite us to participate in a hospitality which is something else! Help us not only to accept it with thanksgiving, but to freely share it with those whose lives are restricted or crushed by the meanness of this world. Make us not only receivers
but generous and unpretentious givers. To the glory of your name, through Christ Jesus.
Amen!
(Bruce Prewer, The Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren)
Closing Hymn
-
"
Freely, Freely
" -
UMH #389
The Blessing and Sending Forth
May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
and turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
(Franciscan Benediction)
