Liturgies Online

LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY
Easter 7 C
Acts 16:16-34; Ps. 97; Rev. 22:12-14,16-17,20-21; John 17:20-26 Rec text - NRSV.
     Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS)
unless otherwise indicated.
             Worship Leader - normal type. Congregational responses - bold type
         Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship.
This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw

Additional resources for Easter 7C: Scripture in Song . CMC Australasia, Unit 9/147 Marshalltown Road , Grovedale, Victoria 3216; New Journeys Songbook, JBCE, the Joint Board of Christian Education, 10 Queen St., Melbourne 3000,1991; Australian Prayers, Bruce D Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, Adelaide, 1983; Jesus Our Future , Bruce D Prewer, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, 1998.

Today marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - material available from www.ncca.org.au or from Queensland Churches together - 07 3369 6792 or relevant Synod agency.

Today is also set aside as Asia Sunday. Material in this liturgy marked with a star is taken from a past liturgy prepared by the Christian Conference of Asia . A liturgy for today is available from www.cca.org.hk

*   Every year since 1974, on the Sunday before Pentecost, the CCA member
churches celebrate Asia Sunday. Some churches and ecumenical partners
around the world have joined us in this celebration as a way to express their
solidarity with the churches and people of Asia in their struggles and hopes.
The day commemorates the founding of the East Asia Christian Conference (EACC, now CCA) on May 14, 1959.

CALL TO WORSHIP : either read Psalm 97 responsively or use the following:
The Lord is King! Let the earth from coast to coast rejoice.
The great power of God lights up the world, creating and transforming
the landscapes of this world.
We rejoice as the energy of God transforms the landscapes of our lives
with the love of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit
Let all people rejoice and give praise and thanks to God whom we
worship as all-powerful Creator, loving Saviour and empowering Spirit.

TIS 55: “The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth” (Psalm 97)
TIS 100/AHB 3: “All creatures of our God and King”
TIS 52/AHB 115: “Let us sing to the God of salvation”
TIS 89: “O Lord, you are my God and King”
TIS 98/AHB 1: “We praise, we worship you, O God”

PRAYER OF APPROACH
Eternal God, we give thanks and praise for Jesus’ preparedness to show us
your true nature and your true character - for in Jesus’ words we hear the
resonance of your voice, and in his deeds we see the imprint of your
hands. We give thanks that Jesus’ presence disclosed a new reality at work in
the world - the reality of your kingdom O God, where what was broken is
mended, what was afflicted is relieved, what was bound is set free and what
was excluded is included. We pray that our worship here today will enable us
to catch a glimpse of your kingdom, to hear the resonance of your voice, to
know the imprint of your hand on our lives and to experience the breath of
your Spirit in our bodies. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

A WORD WITH THE YOUNG
Ask the young people how many ‘brand’ clothes- ‘designer labels’ they are
wearing and invite them to look closely at any such brand name to see if it is
embroidered on or woven into the material. Ask if they’ve noticed when
watching a sports game how brand names are on the back of clothing as well as
the front. Ask if they know why this is so!! Big businesses put their names
on their products because they can then use the people who wear them as
walking advertisements - as signs - to the world that the person wearing their
clothes prefers them to anything else.   That’s why you’re more likely to see
sponsor’s names on sportspeople’s clothes actually woven into the fabric
rather than embroidered on top.
Go on to say that since our baptism we have something far more important
than any commercial logo woven deep into the fabric of our lives - Jesus’ love
for us, and his life in us. And Jesus wants us to make his love more visible
than any designer logo we wear on our clothes. We do that in the way
we allow Jesus’ love to work through us - like the words of this next hymn:

AS ONE VOICE 130: “We are one in the Spirit” - “They’ll know we are Christians by our love...”
TIS 146/AHB 82: “God who made the earth”
TIS 229/AHB 166: “Jesus loves me”

* A PRAYER OF CONFESSION from past liturgy prepared by the Christian Conference of Asia
Let us pray : In the midst of hatred that divides people of different nations,
ethnic groups, classes, religions and gender
God, forgive us.
In the midst of our difficulty in accepting each other and in respecting our differences
God, forgive us
In the midst of the covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is
not their own
God, forgive us
In the midst of the greediness which exploits the work of human hands and
lays waste the earth.
God, forgive us
In the midst of our envy of the welfare and happiness of others.
God, forgive us
In the midst of our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless,
the refugees and the migrant workers.
God, forgive us
In the midst of practices which dishonour the bodies of men, women and children
God, forgive us
In the midst of pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God.
God, forgive us
(Silence)
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

* ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Hear the good news. Christ is our peace. He has broken down the dividing
wall, that is the hostility between us. Through his death he has reconciled us
with God and with each other and brought us together into one family of God.
Therefore, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as
God in Christ has forgiven us. Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and
live in love, as Christ loved us, and gave himself up for us, as a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God.
Glory to God, Amen!

Invite people to stand
* COMMITMENT FOR PEACE
In unison with the experience of the victims of violence,
with the way of Jesus Christ and with the witness of our
Fathers and Mothers in faith,
we are joined together, reconciled with one another
and encouraged by one another through the cross of Christ.
Together with the ecumenical community of churches
we commit ourselves to work for a culture of peace
and to overcome the violence we encounter in our lives.
Together we are carried forward by the vision of the one church,
of the people of God on the way, challenging all separations
of race, gender, age or culture and striving for justice,
peace and integrity of creation.
Enough children have suffered violence.
We are longing for the day, when the prophecy of Isaiah will come true,
when “they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.”

TIS 616/AHB 547: “O day of God draw near”

FIRST READING: Acts 16:16-34
EPISTLE: Revelation 22: 12-14,16-17
GOSPEL: John 17: 20 26

SERMON

TIS 459/AHB 391 : “In Christ there is no East or West” In AHB 391 in v.2
invite people to replace ‘all mankind’ with ‘humankind’ and in v.3 to replace ‘man’ with ‘child’
TIS 466/AHB 402: “Peace with the Father, peace with Christ his Son”
TIS 238/AHB 179 : “Christ is the world’s true light” In AHB 179, in v.1 invite
people to replace line 4 with ‘desire of every nation’ and to replace ‘men’ with ‘all’ in v.2.

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION - check with liturgy set down for today by the Christian Conference of Asia

THE LORD’S PRAYER

OFFERING
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Loving God, we praise you for linking our lives with yours through
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. We offer these gifts as signs of our
gratitude and our commitment to make your name known, and Christ’s
love visible through our worship, witness and service. In Jesus’ name,
we pray. Amen.

TIS 179: “Praise with joy the world’s Creator”
TIS 606/AHB 529:   “ Son of God, eternal Saviour” Alternate tune Ode to Joy
TIS 698/ AHB 92
TIS 623: “Lord Christ, true peace of all above”

BENEDICTION:
May the protection of God surround you,
the joy of Jesus infill you and
the harmony of the Holy Spirit resound in and through your life.

THREEFOLD AMEN

Prepare for Pentecost by inviting people to wear something red next week - May 27 - Pentecost