Sunday, May 29, 2022 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Approach
Lighting the Christ Candle
God of strength and compassion, you call us to righteousness, you call us to reach out to others with justice and mercy. In the shadow of that grace, we are called to offer compassion and mercy to others. We light this candle today to remind us that you are with us this day and every day, and that we may serve you forevermore. Amen.
Call to Worship
One: Look at the birds of the air;
All: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns
One: and yet God provides for the basic sustenance of life.
All: May our hearts be open to trust you.
One: Look at the birds of the air;
All: they neither study nor plan nor plot their course
One: and yet God writes the instinct for migration into their hearts.
All: May our eyes be open to see you.
One: Look at the birds of the air;
All: they neither talk nor vote nor debate their responsibility
One: yet God weaves them into communities which nurture and defend.
All: May our hands be open to serve you, as we come this day to worship.
(adapted from Katherine Hawker)
Hymn – “Come and Find the Quiet Centre”
Come and find the quiet centre in the crowded life we lead,
Find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:
Clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
All the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.
Silence is a friend who claims us, cools the heart and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us, knows our being, face to face,
Making space within our thinking, lifting shades to show the sun,
Raising courage when we’re shrinking, finding scope for faith begun.
In the Spirit let us travel, open to each other’s pain,
Let our loves and fears unravel, celebrate the space we gain:
There’s a place for deepest dreaming, there’s a time for heart to care,
In the Spirit’s lively scheming there is always room to spare!
Prayer of Approach and Confession
Expansive God, your extravagant love has called us together. Long before we even knew you, you already knew us, and had chosen us to be part of your own family—sisters and brothers with our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. What amazing love you have shown toward us! And so we come before you with praise and thanksgiving, offering you the worship of our hearts and lives, and opening ourselves to the prompting and leading of Your Holy Spirit.
Yet when we could be revived by God’s grace, we find ourselves fearing God’s judgment, doubting God’s joy in us, worrying that God has turned away from us. You hold nothing back from us, Amazing God, yet we are determined to cling to what we have accumulated. We spend so much time eating out, we cannot feel the deep ache our hunger for you causes.
You invite us to set aside our old ways, and walk with you, but unknown paths fill us with fear. Let us come to the One who heals us and calls each of us by name, the One who calls us to new life, and for the grace to share this joy with everyone we meet. This we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(adapted from Thom Shuman)
Words of Assurance
Response – “A New Creed”
We are not alone, we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Time for All Ages
The Word
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:31-39
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:22-34
22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God!
Meditation – “What Are We Reflecting”
Anthem – “My Saviour Loves Me”
The Response
Prayers of the People
One: You, O God, love us from the moment of our conception, You know us and you love us in the womb, You love us and you call us from before the moment of our first breath, and You love us when we first see the light of day. As a mother / father loves her / his child before she / he ever sees it, and then embraces it gently from the moment of its birth, so you love us—and we thank you. Help us dear God to love one another in this way…
All: Lord hear our prayer…
One: You love us, O God from the time of our naming, You love us in our growing and hold us as we take our first steps. You love us and walk beside us as we explore the world with eager hands and eyes. As a mother / father loves her / his child as she / he sees it grow and develop so you love us—and we thank you. Help us dear God to love one another in this way…
All: Lord hear our prayer…
One: You love us, O God, as we mature and seek our way, You love as we become aware of the world around us, You love us as we smile and play, You even love us we we say no and when we begin to stray. As a mother / father loves her / his child as she / he sees it become proud and tall, so You love us even when we sin and fall. Help us dear God to love one another in this way…
All: Lord hear our prayer…
One: We thank you God for loving us when we are unloving, for caring for us when we are uncaring, and for calling us when we go far away. Help us dear God to love one another in this way…
All: Lord hear our prayer…
One: Lord hear our prayers of love this day for those around us, for those we have held before you in our time of sharing and for those we have thought of in our moments of caring…Help us dear God to love one another in this way…
All: Lord hear our prayer…
One: We ask all these things in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Hymn – “Lead Us Out”
Lead us up. We want to know You better.
Lead us up. Fill our hearts and make us more like You.
Lead us up. Ever growing closer.
Oh lead us up into You, Lord.
Lead us up, lead us in, lead us out into Your world.
Lead us now, and we’ll follow you today.
Lead us onward by Your grace, until we see Your face.
Lead us out into Your world.
Lead us in. We want to love like You do.
Lead us in. Make us one body in Your love.
Lead us in. Loving one another.
Oh lead us in Your love, O Lord.
Lead us up, lead us in, lead us out into Your world.
Lead us now, and we’ll follow you today.
Lead us onward by Your grace, until we see Your face.
Lead us out into Your world.
Lead us out. We want to be a blessing.
Lead us out into the world You gave Your life to save.
Lead us out to tell them all about You.
Oh lead us out into Your world.
Lead us up, lead us in, lead us out into Your world.
Lead us now, and we’ll follow you today.
Lead us onward by Your grace, until we see Your face.
Lead us out into Your world.
Benediction
As we go into this week let us remember that our strength lies in the strength of God. Let us remember that as we are called to be a part of the whole body of Christ our spiritual strength helps not only ourselves but the whole world.
As we go know that God goes with you, that Jesus walks alongside you, and that the Spirit emboldens you, today and every day. Amen.
Response
O God, You are my God,
And I will every praise You.
O God, You are my God,
And I will ever praise You.
I will seek You in the morning,
And I will learn to walk in Your ways,
And step by step You’ll lead me,
And I will follow You all of my days.
