Easter Day
Easter 2B
Easter 3B
Easter 4B
Easter 5B
Easter 6B
Easter 7B
Pentecost
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Easter 4B LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18. . Recommended text - NRSV. Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) 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 4B: Sheet of green cardboard, white and green crepe paper, a long pipecleaner, sticky tape, a large florist's box or wrapping (tissue) paper; Scripture in Song. CMCAustralasia, Unit 9/147 Marshalltown Road, Grovedale, Victoria 3216; Australian Prayers, Bruce Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, Adelaide, SA 1983; Be Our Freedom, Lord, ed Terry C Falla, Openbook Publishing House, Adelaide, SA, 1994; All Together Whatever, Openbook Publishing House, Adelaide, SA, 2001. CALL TO WORSHIP: based on John 10. NRSV TIS 11: Response 1 "My Shepherd is the Lord..." sung as solo or by choir or everyone Jesus said " I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." Jesus said "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. TIS 11: Response 1 "My Shepherd is the Lord..." sung as solo or by choir or everyone Jesus also said: " I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them in also. So there will be one flock and one shepherd. TIS 10/AHB 16 : "The Lord's my shepherd" TIS 145/AHB 81: The King of love my shepherd is" TIS 659: "The Lord is my shepherd" OPENING PRAYER : based on 1 John 3: 16-24 Gracious God, we know love because you made it eternally visible in the person of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. He revealed the depth of that love by laying down his life for us. We pray that our gratitude may be visible through our care for others and for this world in which we live. Jesus showed us that love was not confined to words alone, nor was it ever an abstract quality, but was at all times a heart-centred activity. Stir such a love in our hearts we pray, so that all we do may be pleasing to you and be the very best evidence of our identity as people with the risen Christ living within us - giving us life. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen EPISTLE: 1 John 3: 16-24 A WORD WITH THE CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE A children's talk can be based on the above passage of Scripture and the sincerity - the genuineness of our faith. Is our faith visible through our actions? The following story might help. Centuries ago, rich people who lived in Italy liked to have marble statues in their homes. When the sculptor was creating the statue, if there was a little flaw in the marble or a crack appeared in the finished product, the sculptor would melt some wax and let it run into the cracks. When the wax was polished, it was impossible to see the flaws. It became the fashion, however, for statues to be used to make gardens more attractive - but - when the statue was in the sun for any length of time - the wax melted, making the flaws visible. As people were paying high prices for the statues, they demanded that they be flawless, undamaged - so the sculptor had to furnish a bill of sale with the words "sine cere"- meaning -without wax - so that the purchaser would know that this was a genuine unflawed article. These words gradually came to be used in letters as a way of saying that the contents were true. We use the words today at the conclusion of a letter - "Yours sincerely". Jesus' life can be compared to a love letter written to us all and his death was his way of saying "Yours sincerely". This can be linked to the next hymn - saints are ordinary people who live out their Christian faith with sincerity and integrity. AHB 551: "I sing a song of the saints of God" TIS 229/AHB 166: "Jesus loves me" TIS 235/AHB 176: "A man there lived in Galilee" Please note the inclusive language in TIS 235 If you are celebrating today as Mothers' Day or Family Day - make a very large chrysanthemum. You will need 1 sheet of green cardboard - white and green crepe paper, 1 long pipe-cleaner and some 'Scotch' or similar sticky tape. Cut a strip 15 cms wide from top of white crepe paper and holding firmly, cut through all thicknesses to about 3cms from bottom edge. Make similar cuts about 1cm apart across the width of still folded paper. This will resemble a fringe when cut. Fold a pipe-cleaner in half and fasten the edge of uncut end of white crepe paper close to the bend in pipe-cleaner with sticky tape. Wind paper around the folded end of pipe-cleaner to form the petals of the 'chrysanthemum'. Fasten end with sticky tape. Cut a 10cm strip from long edge of cardboard and roll up as tightly as possible and fix with sticky tape. Push the ends of pipe-cleaner into this cardboard tube and secure flower to tube (stem) with tape. Cut two large leaves from cardboard and fasten to stem with tape. Cut a strip about 3cms wide from green crepe paper and wind around the stem from top to bottom and fasten with tape. If you want to have a bigger flower, cut another strip from white crepe paper but make it a little wider than the first strip and the cuts a little deeper so that the outer 'petals' are longer. (Sounds a lot more complicated than it is!) Now that you have completed your flower, write on petals some of the tasks a mother or other family member does (see why you need a lot of petals!). Also with a red pen write love on as many petals as possible. Either buy or borrow a large florist's box from a friendly florist, or wrap flower up in fancy tissue paper and make a big show of unwrapping it in front of children/young people. Ask them what they think might be in the box/wrapping and when you take it out point out that it is a very special chrysanthemum. Appear surprised when you discover messages on the petals - maybe some of the young folk could help read them out. The messages are all about what mothers do. When mothers aren't around, fathers and other family members are good at doing these things also. Ask why they think mothers or others do these things. Don't think it's for the pay! Let them all see the word 'love' written in red on the petals and explain that that is why they are happy to do all these things for their children/family. How did they learn about love? From Jesus - the very best teacher of all.. TIS 641/AHB 410: "This is my will, my one command, that love should PRAYER OF CONFESSION We give thanks, most gracious God, for knowing love in its most sincere and beautiful form - in Jesus, your Son, our Saviour and Lord. He did not just tell people how to live - serving others, turning the other cheek, loving the unlovable - he demonstrated these things in the way he lived. And he warned us about some of the dangers we may be exposed to when he said" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."(Matthew 6:19, 21) We want to serve as Jesus served, but we confess that our priorities can become so easily confused by the values of the world - values which are usually in conflict with those spelled out by Jesus. He demonstrated that love was the priority of his life, enabling him to empty himself of any self-serving power and to lay down his life for all people - including us. We do want people to know that your love dwells in us, and that we are true and active witnesses of that love but you know how frequently we fail. Forgive us when our words and actions fail to disclose your love. Fill us anew with your Spirit O God, so that our weakness is overcome by your strength, our selfishness is overwhelmed by your generosity, and our apathy is replaced by your enthusiasm. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen WORDS OF ASSURANCE "All who believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another, live in him and he lives in them." (1 John 3: 23, 24) and "There is salvation in no-one else..." (Acts 4:12) Hear and believe the good news that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God Alleluia! Amen! CHORUS: Scripture in Song 41 "God forgave my sin in Jesus' name" TIS 160/AHB 104: "Father all loving, and ruling in majesty" FIRST LESSON: Acts 4:5-12 SERMON TIS 233/AHB 176: "I will sing the wondrous story..." TIS 205/AHB 135: "Join all the glorious names..." Verses 1,2,3,5 and 11 - This can be sung to TIS 341/AHB 257 (1) Love Unknown - thus creating a link with the theme which runs through the readings today of Jesus laying down his life for all. TIS 256: "From heaven you came, helpless babe" (The Servant King) SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION Give thanks for Jesus' preparedness to lay down his life to demonstrate the depth of his love. The words "laying down his life" can slip so easily off our tongues, but when we stop to think about the immensity of that deed and our own lives...we have to admit that we are more inclined to hold on to what we hold dear. Yet we are called to express our praise and thanks for what Jesus did through lives actively witnessing to the truth of his love. Pray that the strength of the Holy Spirit will renew our energy, refresh flagging enthusiasm, and help us to examine our priorities in the light of Jesus' love and our faith. Pray for wisdom and direction in discerning the people most in need in your community. As Peter was used to witness so powerfully in a hostile environment, pray for the ability to witness in like situations today. Pray that reconciliation will be experienced in communities and families torn apart by division and conflict. Pray for countries, including this one, where division is being experienced because of racial dispute - that there may be genuine desire by all concerned to work towards true reconciliation. Pray that the restoration and comfort of God as described in the 23rd Psalm might be reality for those who are sick and those who mourn. OFFERING and OFFERTORY PRAYER In thanks for the great gift of Jesus' life within us, we bring this offering to be used to spread the good news of his love. We bring our lives also to be blessed anew by God, praying that the power that raised Jesus from the dead will enliven our spirits and renew our dedication to witness to the gospel not just in word and speech, but in truth and action. Amen PASSING THE PEACE ALL TOGETHER WHATEVER 476: "Here is bread" TIS 516/AHB 438: "Here, gracious Lord, we see you face to face" TIS 499: "Lord Jesus, joy of loving hearts" INVITATION: Hear the invitation of Jesus: " I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." Revelation 3:20 PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Give thanks for the presence of the risen Lord Jesus with us: We give thanks with joyful hearts. Jesus, dispeller of doubts, source of our faith, we praise you with wonder for caring for us so deeply. We praise you, O God, for raising Jesus from the dead, and for this great assurance of your love for us. With joy over propecies fulfilled, and promises carried out, we join with faithful people of every time and place to give glory to you: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. We waved our palms and cried "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday, we held our breath and fear clutched our hearts once more with the words "crucify him" on Good Friday; so our relief on Easter Day was evident in our eagerness to join in the acclamation that Christ is risen. With Thomas we identified with the disciples looking for proof that Jesus is indeed risen. With them, we receive words of peace from the risen Christ. What further proof do we need, that he was prepared to die for us and to share his risen life with us. For Jesus, on the night he was betrayed was still thinking of others as he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." And now, O God, breathe your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine, that through them, we may be nourished by the life of Christ and strengthened to make that life visible through our faithful witness in the world. Bless us all, O God, as we offer our praise and our worship in the name of Jesus Christ our risen Lord and Saviour. Amen THE LORD'S PRAYER BREAKING THE BREAD LAMB OF GOD DISTRIBUTION PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Gracious God, we have been reminded of Jesus' sacrificial love for us as we have shared this meal together ,and through the power of the Holy Spirit we have received his life in us. May we make our thanks visible by serving you and one another. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALL TOGETHER WHATEVER 474: "The bread of angels" TIS 461/AHB 395 : "God, your glory we have seen in your Son" TIS 224/AHB 159 "All hail the power of Jesus' name" BENEDICTION Go, empowered by the goodness and mercy of God, the compassion and love of Jesus Christ, and the energy and enthusiasm of the Holy Spirit. THREEFOLD AMEN |