Liturgies Online

Easter 7B

LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY
Seventh Sunday of Easter (Ascension) Year B
Acts 1:15-17,21-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19 Recommended 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 7B: One sheet of gold coloured cardboard, ruler, scissors, black pen (texta) or similar; Scripture in Song. CMCAustralasia, Unit 9/147 Marshalltown Road, Grovedale, Victoria 3216; ALL TOGETHER WHATEVER, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, 2001

CALL TO WORSHIP: based on Psalm 1 NRSV
Blessed are those who do not follow evil advice or take the path which leads to wrongdoing
Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Lord and who meditate on it day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they flourish.
Those who do wrong, however, are like chaff that the wind drives away.
The Lord watches over the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish.

TIS 100/AHB 3: "All creatures of our God and King" verses 1,2,4 and 7.
TIS 52/AHB 115: "Let us sing to the God of salvation"
TIS 1/SA 43 : " Happy are those who walk in God's wise way..."

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

EPISTLE: 1 John 5: 9-13

A WORD WITH THE CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Required for Children's talk: sheet of cardboard - gold on one side, plain on other. On the plain side draw a large Yale type key - about 75 cms long and with the curved end about 32 cms at widest point and 21cms wide with the next section 20cms by 12cms wide then 15 cms by 10cms wide then 13cms for the rest of the key. In the curved end draw a large "J" then a smaller "E", then smaller "S" , "U" and "S". Draw the letters so that they fit into the outline of the key and fill in the spaces between and within the letters with black ink/paint/texta. This gives a gold key shape on one side and the word Jesus on the other. Cut the key out and in the talk with children ask what keys can be used for - lock/unlock/open - key piece for jigsaw, key word for crossword etc. Emphasise how we can't open a locked door without a key, can't finish the puzzle without key piece or word etc. Link with our christian faith - turn key around so that the word "Jesus" is visible - he is the one who unlocks our hearts and minds to know and love God and to experience God's love for us - Jesus is the key to our loving relationship with others etc etc.

ALL TOGETHER OK 341: "If you're black or if you're white..."
TIS 164/AHB 105: "The great love of God"
TIS 686: "Lord Jesus, we belong to you"

PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Merciful God, Jesus' life, and the manner of his death demonstrated that there was literally no limit to his love. Living a human life, as we do, he demonstrated how the values of your kingdom are different from the world's values and how your standards are different from the world's standards. We live in the world also, and are exposed to all the trials and temptations that the world's values and standards place on us as christians. So we welcome Jesus' prayer for his disciples - his prayer also for us. Jesus prayed that his followers would be one as he and God are one.
Forgive us when we contribute to disunity or conflict in any of our relationships with one another.
Jesus prayed that God would keep and protect us from the influence of evil.
Forgive us for blaming you, O God, for distressing or difficult times and for believing that we can deal with problems in our own strength.
Jesus prayed that his disciples would be made and kept holy by the truth of the gospel - the reality of God's love for all people - revealed in Jesus and experienced through the Holy Spirit.
Keep us holy, O God, and empower us to be faithful witnesses of the truth of the gospel as long as we live. As Jesus' disciples and in his name we pray. Amen

WORDS OF ASSURANCE
John assures us that "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in God's Son. Whoever has the Son has life...." (1 John 5: 11f.NRSV) and "God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. ...Those who believe in him are not condemned." (John 3 :17, 18 NRSV)
Thanks be to God!

FIRST LESSON: Acts 1:15-17,21-26
GOSPEL: John 17: 6-19

SERMON

NICENE CREED

TIS 442/AHB 367: "All praise to our redeeming Lord"
TIS 101/AHB 5: "Come, you people, come adore him"
TIS 648: "Help us accept each other"

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity For resources online see: http://www.ncca.org.au/departments/faith_and_unity/weekofprayer.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

OFFERING and OFFERTORY PRAYER
Loving God, we praise you for blessing and protecting our lives through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. We offer these gifts as signs of our gratitude and our commitment to live lives shaped by holiness and love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

TIS 440/AHB 364: "Christ, from whom all blessings flow..." TIS 456/AHB 389 "Your hand, O God, has guided your flock from age to age"
ALL TOGETHER WHATEVER 508: "Wherever I go..."

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 - Pentecost. If you have people in the congregation from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, invite them to read Acts 2 verses 1-4 in their native tongue. These verses are read at the same time in as many languages as possible. Whoever is leading worship reads the verses at the same time in Koine Greek (There's a challenge!) One person will continue to verse 21 in English. Also plan to do things differently within worship on Pentecost. Print out the words of the Fruit of the Spirit - Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - in banner size. On Pentecost hand out pieces of paper in different flame colours - some red, some yellow, some orange, with one of the fruits of the Spirit printed on them - one for each person - so that your congregation will be divided up into groups - as evenly divided as possible. Have the banners - love, joy , peace etc placed around the walls of the church and at a particular point in the service, people will be invited to move to sit near the fruit as indicated on their paper. Group members will be invited to discuss how they could use the received 'fruit of the Spirit' in new ways as they live out their faith.