Worship at Home: May 2, 2021

You can watch today’s service here.

If you are watching our live stream this morning, you are invited to find a candle, so that we can all light candles at the same time. 

CALL TO WORSHIP (JOANNA HARADER, inspired by John 15:1-8)

We are branches, rooted in the vine of Christ.
We come because we seek to abide in Christ.
The branches that remain in the vine bear much fruit.
We come because we long to be spiritually vibrant, alive, productive.
If we abide in Christ, then Christ’s words will abide in us.
We come because we strive to be faithful disciples.
We gather for worship now to the glory of the One God:
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.
May we grow wildly as God tends us lovingly.

OPENING PRAYER (Book of Common Worship)

O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise, that, amid all the changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

CALL TO THANKSGIVING (PSALM 22)

From God comes our praise in the great congregation. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek God shall praise the Lord. 

In the season of Easter, we use this moment in the service to offer up prayers of thanksgiving instead of prayers of confession. I invite you to join with me in our unison prayer of thanksgiving, followed by a time either for silent personal thanksgiving or to name your blessings out loud at home.

Let us pray. . .

Moment of silent prayer–people of God, what are you thankful for this week? 

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (Michaela Youngson)

When everything was dark
and it seemed that the sun would never shine again,
your love broke through.

Your love was too strong,
too wide,
too deep
for death to hold.

The sparks cast by your love
dance and spread
and burst forth
with resurrection light.

Gracious God,
we praise you for the light of new life
made possible through Jesus.

We praise you for the light of new life
that shone on the first witnesses of resurrection.

We praise you for the light of new life
that continues to shine in our hearts today.

We pray that the Easter light of life, hope and joy,
will live in us each day;
and that we will be bearers of that light
into the lives of others.
Amen.

PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING (John Wurster)

Gracious God, illumine these words by your Spirit that we might hear what you would have us hear and be who you would have us be, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Amen.

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING

JOHN 15:1-8 (NRSV)

Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. God removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit God prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.’

Consider:

• What does it mean to live in Jesus? How do we as a church (or individuals) live in Jesus in the way we worship, teach, welcome, spend money?

• Who or what in our lives do we feel we cannot be separated from? Family? Friends? Possessions? What about the church community?

• What needs to be pruned in your life/community/church?

HYMN  In The Bulb There Is a Flower

music and lyrics by Natalie Sleeth, 1986
© 1986 Hope Publishing Company
Used by Permission. CCLI License #3456351 ONELICENSE # 738214-A

1 In the bulb there is a flower;
in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter
there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

2 There’s a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody;
there’s a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

3 In our end is our beginning;
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing;
in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection;
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

SECOND SCRIPTURE READING

Acts 8:26-40

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

You can listen to Pastor Leia’s sermon, “What Is to Prevent Me?” here.

Merciful God, powerful and wonderful, eternally present and graciously close, we are grateful for what you have given us in Jesus Christ, life and love without end. Prompted by your Spirit and encouraged by your faithfulness, we lift to you the cares and concerns of our hearts, the burdens and the worries of our lives. We pray that the sick would be healed, that the broken would be mended, that the mournful would be comforted. We pray that warriors would yield to peace, that leaders would gain wisdom, that the forsaken would be gathered in. We pray that the sorrowful would be consoled, that the poor would be lifted up, that the anxious would be released.

We pray for children in their growing and for youth in their seeking. We pray for those making new starts and for those nearing a journey’s end. We pray for those facing hard choices and for those enduring painful consequences. We pray for those filled with bitterness and for those who are just empty. We pray that your church might claim its potential, that the body of Christ might be strengthened by its many parts, that the work of ministry might be done with joy and thanksgiving. 

We pray for the courage to follow Jesus, for the faith to trust your promises to us, for the vision to see your kingdom among us even now.

We pray for all that you would have us pray. We pray for those for whom no one prays. We pray all of these things in the name of the one ceaselessly praying for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Trusting in Christ, we offer together the prayer he taught us: 

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

INVITATION TO OFFERING (John Wurster)

With gratitude for God’s faithfulness and with thanksgiving for all that we have received, let us bring our gifts to God.

MORNING OFFERING

If you are able to, please consider mailing your offerings to the church (210 Smith Street) or dropping them off in the mail slot.  Alternatively, there is a link at the top of this page that will take you directly to a secure page where you can make a one-time donation. We appreciate your generosity as we seek to continue our mission and ministry throughout the community during this difficult time.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION (John Wurster)

O God, with faith and hope, we offer these gifts. Use them, even as you use us, to accomplish your purposes in Jesus Christ, the Head of the church and the Lord of our lives. Amen.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (from A Brief Statement of Faith)

We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. 

The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the church. In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” 

With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God’s countenance be lifted upon you and give you peace.
Remember that no matter where you go
or who you meet
or what questions you ask
or whether or not you feel you belong
God is with you anyway, loving and welcoming you exactly as you are.
From wherever you are, serve the Lord: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.

VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR

If you are using this page to follow along with today’s worship service while it is being live streamed, please join us for virtual coffee hour! Turn on your video camera and join us after the benediction with THIS LINK. You could also join over the telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting code 146 874 134, followed by the password 075003. You can find other events throughout the week on our CALENDAR.