5th Sunday of Easter

CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 22:25–31

From you comes my praise in the great assembly;

I will perform my vows in the sight of those who fear the LORD.

The poor shall eat and be satisfied,

Let those who seek the LORD give praise!

May your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD;

all the families of nations shall bow before God.

For dominion belongs to the LORD, who rules over the nations.

Indeed, all who sleep in the earth shall bow down in worship;

all who go down to the dust, though they be dead, shall kneel before the LORD.

Their descendants shall serve the LORD,

whom they shall proclaim to generations to come.

They shall proclaim God's deliverance to a people yet unborn,

saying to them, "The LORD has acted!"

GATHERING SONG “Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death” #376

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rejoicing in the resurrection, let us seek God's forgiveness, that dying to sin,

we may walk in newness of life.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

Faithful God,

we confess that we have tried to live by our own poor strength,

shunning the earth-shaking power of the resurrection.

We have doubted your promises. We have failed to recognize you in the poor and needy.

Have mercy on us, forgive us our sin,

and restore to us the joy of your salvation

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Christ died to sin once for all, and now, victorious, lives to God. Our Savior has delivered you from the power of darkness and welcomed you into the realm of light. For his sake God grants you pardon and peace, the remission of all your sins. Amen

HYMN OF PRAISE “The Easter Song”

PRAYER 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, that we may bear the fruit of love and know the fullness of your joy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

THE FIRST LESSON: Acts 8:26-40

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.) 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?” 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When 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. But 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.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

THE SECOND LESSON: 1 John 4:7-21

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In 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. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So 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. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There 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. We love because he first loved us. Those 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. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: John 15:1-8

The Holy Gospel according to Saint John. Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said:] "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he 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." The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON “Abide” Pastor Phil Wold

HYMN OF THE DAY “Alleluia! Jesus is Risen!” #377

THE OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray. Everlasting God, the whole universe sings a new song of praise:

the rivers clap their hands, the hills ring out for joy.

As you have raised us to new life in Christ,

give us voices ready to cry out for justice

and proclaim resurrection joy

wherever your Spirit leads us.

In Jesus' name we boldly pray.

Amen.

PRAYERS FOR HEALING

Great God, our healer, by your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope to the hopeless. Look upon us with mercy, and bless us with your healing Spirit.

Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our weakness,

and light to illumine our darkness.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

As you hear the promise of God’s presence, may God bless you with the healing power of the Holy Spirit.

May God forgive you your sins, release you from suffering, and restore you to wholeness and strength.

May God deliver you from all evil, preserve you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

THE SIGN OF PEACE IS SHARED

The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.

NOISY OFFERING

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 trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. AMEN

BLESSING

SENDING SONG “Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing” #389

SENDING

Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!

POSTLUDE

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.