Sunday, May 15, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Easter
THE COMMUNITY GATHERS
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST
GATHERING MUSIC
Joyce Rhodes, organ
“Peace, The Gift of God’s Love”
~ Peter Marshall
“Meditation”
~ Theodor Bubeck
PRELUDE
Joyce Rhodes, organ
“Love Medley”
-tunes- “The Love of God”
“Oh, How He Loves You and Me”
~ arr. Lyndell Leatherman
CONGREGATIONAL CENTERING
Pastor Jeffrey
THE SACRAMENT OF SILENCE
INTROIT
Chancel Choir“Spirit of God” -tune- “Dove Song” ~ TFWS #2117, vs. 3
WORDS OF WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Jeffrey
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Ed Burling
L: The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
P: And also with you.
L: The One who loves without distinction calls us here.
P: Let all creation praise the Lord.
L: The One who loves us calls us into God’s future.
P: Let all creation praise the Lord.
L: The One who loves us calls us still.
P: Let all creation praise the Lord. *OPENING PRAYER (In Unison)
Ed Burling
Teach our hearts to love, O God, as you would have us love. Teach our eyes to see, Holy One, as you would have us see. For we are constantly drawing distinctions, that separate others into friends and foes, insiders and outsiders. Help us live without prejudice. Help us accept without judgment. Help us truly learn to love one another. Make your home among us, that we might be made one and whole. Amen.
*HYMN
“All Creatures of Our God and King” ~ UMH #62
CHILDREN DEPART FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
Parents are invited to accompany their children to Sunday School, sign them in, and return to the sanctuary for worship. After the worship service, parents are asked to return to the classroom and sign their children out.
THE COMMUNITY PROCLAIMS AND HEARS THE WORD
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (In Unison)
Ed Burling
Guide us, O God, by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find freedom, and in your will discover your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Ed Burling
Acts 11:1-18
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 uncircumcised men 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 brothers 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.”
L: The Word of Life.
P: Thanks be to God. Amen.
HYMN
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” ~ UMH #384
JOYS AND CONCERNS / THE LORD’S PRAYER
Pastor Jeffrey
ANTHEM
Chancel Choir
“Have I Done Any Good?”
words & music, Will L. Thompson, alt., arr. David A. Zabriskie
SCRIPTURE READING
Ed Burling
John 13:31-35
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
L: The Word of Life.
P: Thanks be to God. Amen. SERMON
Pastor Jeffrey
By This Everyone Will Know
THE COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO THE WORD
WORSHIP WITH TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Ed Burling
God of mystery, you promise us a life of blessedness, if we learn to love one another as you have first loved us. May the gifts we offer you today, be a sign of our commitment to see beyond our narrow perspective as we learn to love one another with your all-embracing vision. Amen.
OFFERTORY
Joyce Rhodes, organ
“Aria for Organ”
(from “Darwall’s Fantasia”) ~ John S. Dixon, arr. Janet Linker
*DOXOLOGY
“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ~ UMH 95
*HYMN
“The Gift of Love” ~ UMH #408
*BENEDICTION
Pastor Jeffrey
POSTLUDE
Joyce Rhodes, organ
“Finale” from “Variations on ‘O Waly, Waly’ “
~ John S. Dixon
- Stand as you are able