The Fifth Sunday of Easter
29 April 2018
The Gathering of the Community
Gathering Music
Announcements
Opening Hymn
‘Come In, Come In and Sit Down’ Songs for a Gospel People #44
Greeting
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
May his grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy.
Hymn of Praise
‘Glory, in the Highest Glory’ Common Praise #366
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
O God,
you give us your Son as the vine
apart from whom we cannot live.
Nourish our life in his resurrection,
so that we may bear the fruit of love
and know the fullness of your joy,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
The Proclamation of the Word
The First Reading: Acts 8.26-40
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
8.26[An angel] of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27So 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 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
32Now 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. 33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36As 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?” 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm: Psalm 22.22-30 (sung to Common Praise #14)
O praise the Lord, you that fear him,
O Israel’s offspring, stand in awe;
all you who are of Jacob’s line
give glory always to the Lord.
The Lord does not despise the poor,
but when they cry, he hears their plea;
I will praise God and make my vows,
I will perform them publicly.
The poor shall eat and have their fill;
those who seek God shall give him praise;
all nations shall turn to the Lord
and bow before his throne always.
Kingship belongs to God the Lord,
he rules the nations from his throne;
all those who sleep within the earth
bow down to worship him alone.
My soul shall live for him, my heirs
shall serve the Lord at his command,
to people yet unborn make known
The Second Reading: 1 John 4.7-21
A reading from the First Letter of John.
4.7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn before the Gospel
‘Jesus Is Risen from the Grave’ Common Praise #232 v. 1
The Gospel: John 15.1-8
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
15.1[Jesus said to his disciples,] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide 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. 5I 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. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn after the Gospel
‘Jesus Is Risen from the Grave’ Common Praise #232 v. 3
The Sermon
The Apostles’ Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.[3]
The Prayers of the Community
Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings
The Exchange of the Peace
The peace of the risen Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
The Holy Communion
The Offertory Hymn
‘Loving Spirit’ Common Praise #657
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray.
Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven and earth.
Day by day you shower us with blessings.
As you have raised us to new life in Christ,
give us glad and generous hearts,
ready to praise you and to respond to those in need,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.[4]
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
All thanks and praise are yours
at all times and in all places, our true and loving God;
through Jesus Christ, your eternal Word,
the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things.
You laid the foundations of the world
and enclosed the sea when it burst out from the womb.
You brought forth all creatures of the earth
and gave breath to humankind.
Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing,
all you create is a sign of hope for our journey.
And so as the morning stars sing your praises
we join the heavenly beings and all creation as we shout with joy:
You are holy, you are whole.
You are always ever more than we ever understand.
Blessed are you coming here to your church in wine and bread,
raised from soil, raised from dead.
You are holy, you are wholeness,
you are present. Let the cosmos praise you, Lord!
Sing hosanna in the highest! Sing hosanna!
Glory and honour are yours, Creator of all,
your Word has never been silent;
you called a people to yourself, as a light to the nations,
you delivered them from bondage
and led them to a land of promise.
Of your grace, you gave Jesus to be human,
to share our life, to proclaim the coming of your holy reign
and give himself for us, a fragrant offering.
Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer,
you have freed us from sin,
brought us into your life,
reconciled us to you,
and restored us to the glory you intend for us.
We thank you that on the night before he died for us
Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to you,
he broke it, gave it to his friends and said:
‘Take, eat, this is my body, broken for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.’
After supper Jesus took the cup of wine,
said the blessing, gave it to his friends and said:
‘Drink this, all of you:
this cup is the new covenant in my blood,
poured out for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.’
Therefore let us proclaim our hope:
Dying, you destroyed our death.
Rising, you restored our life.
Christ Jesus, come in glory!
Send your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon these gifts of bread and wine
so that they may be to us the body and blood of your Christ.
Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power,
may be a people of hope, justice and love.
Giver of life, draw us together in the body of Christ,
and in the fullness of time gather us with all your people
into the joy of our true eternal home.
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ,
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
we worship you our God and Creator in voices of unending praise.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.[7]
The Breaking of the Bread
Lord, we died with you on the cross.
Now we re raised to new life.
We were buried in your tomb.
Now we share in your resurrection.
Live in us, so that we may live in you.[8]
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Communion of the Community
The Hymn after Communion
‘Rejoice Today with One Accord’ Common Praise #318
The Sending Forth of the Community
The Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
Life-giving God,
in the mystery of Christ’s resurrection
you send light to conquer darkness,
water to give new life
and the bread of heaven to nourish your people.
Send us forth as witnesses to your Son’s resurrection,
so that we may show your glory to all the world,
through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.[9]
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn
‘Crown Him with Many Crowns’ Common Praise #378
The Dismissal
Alleluia! Alleluia! Go forth as shoots of the true Vine.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
[1]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 34 alt.
[2]A New Metrical Psalter (1986).
[3]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 105.
[4]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 64 alt.
[5]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) #525.
[6]Enriching Our Worship (1998), 62-65 alt.
[7]Songs for a Gospel People (1987) #12.
[8]The Book of Alternative Services (1985), 213 alt.
[9]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 65 alt.
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