Scattered Prayers April 25, 2021 4th Sunday of Easter-James B. Janknegt - Highland Community Church
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–James B. Janknegt Scattered Prayers ~ April 25, 2021 ~ 4th Sunday of Easter
You are invited to light a candle as a sign that Jesus is present with you in Spirit.
Feel free to print off the image on the last page for you and your children to colour.
Please read the bold print.
WELCOME
The strength of the Creator, who thought it good to give us creatures bodies,
the mind of Jesus, who bore our weaknesses in his flesh that we might be healed,
the inspiration of the Spirit, who is the life-blood of the Church,
and the flourishing company of all the saints, who have found their true meaning
and function as re-membered parts in the Body of Christ
be with you all.
GREETING PRAYER (adapted from a prayer in Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, p. 559)
Brothers and sisters, on this first day of the week, together with the Church throughout
the world we celebrate: Christ is risen!
Singing:
Let’s welcome the Resurrected One, who comes to us to embrace us with hands that
bear the scars of our salvation, by praying the following words together:
Risen Lord,
you called us into being through love;
by your Spirit you have baptized us, joining us to one another in your Body;
by your grace you have made us your ministers.
As we worship,
shine your light upon your people
that we can see the glory of eternal resurrection life;
grant us a deeper fullness of being and spirit,
that we have strength to carry your blessing from this place to the next.
Amen.SINGING ~ For the Beauty of the Earth
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.
For the wonder of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
For the church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.
For Thyself, best Gift Divine.
To our race so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth and joy in Heaven. —Wendell KimbroughWORD OF GOD, WORD OF LIFE ~ ACTS 1:8, 15, 21-26; 6:1-7; 8:1, 4-7, 12, 14-17
(read by Jennifer Rempel)
After Jesus had ascended into heaven, the believers were gathered in the upper room
they used as a meeting place. There were about 120 people—the women included, along
with Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers. Peter stood up and said, “Judas was one of us
and had his assigned place in this ministry. Judas must now be replaced.” (Judas had died
by suicide following the crucifixion of Jesus.)
Peter continued: “The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed
together with us from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension,
designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection.”
They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. Then they
prayed, “You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two
men you choose to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in
order to go his own way.” They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with
the eleven apostles.
As time went on, the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds. Greek-
speaking believers—“Hellenists”—complained against the Hebrew-speaking believers
because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve
called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our
responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the
poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the
Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our
assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”
The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose seven men
and presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned
them for their task.
The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased
dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.
Not long afterwards, a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all
except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.
Forced to leave home base, the Christians all became missionaries. Wherever they were
scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip
proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw
the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word…and were
baptized, becoming believers right and left!
When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God’s
Message, they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Up to
this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit
hadn’t yet fallen on them. Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive
the Holy Spirit.
Word of God. Word of Life.SINGING ~ Let Us Be Known By Our Love
Let us be known by our love,
In every word, in every deed, honour the Son.
Let our light shine in every eye.
Let us be known by our love.
For the glory of the Father,
For the glory of the Son,
For the glory of the Spirit,
Let us be known by our love.
…joy.
…peace.
Let us be known by our joy,
In every home, in every heart, sing to the Lord .
Let our life show goodness and hope.
Let us be known by our joy.
Let us be known by our peace,
In every town, in every tribe, Jesus is King.
Let us go forth, heal and restore.
Let us be known by our peace. —Liturgical Folk
REFLECTION
SINGING ~ We are People of God’s Peace
We are people of God’s peace as a new creation.
Love unites and strengthens us at this celebration.
Sons and daughters of the Lord, serving one another,
A new covenant of peace binds us all together.
We are heralds of God’s peace for the new creation,
And by grace a word of peace reaches every nation.
Though we falter and we fail, Christ will still renew us;
By the Holy Spirit's power God is working through us.
We are children of God’s peace in this new creation,
Spreading joy and happiness, through God's great salvation.
Hope we bring in spirit meek, in our daily living.
Peace with everyone we seek, good for evil giving.
We are servants of God’s peace, of the new creation.
Choosing peace, we faithfully serve with heart’s devotion. —Text: Menno Simons, 1552;
Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, confidence will give us. translated by Esther Bergen
Christ the Lord is our defense; Christ will never leave us. Music: Johann Horn, 1544CONFESSION (adapted from a prayer written by Moira Laidlaw)
We are invited to find ourselves more fully alive as members of Christ’s Body, but we
frequently find ourselves falling short. So let us do what the Living Word calls us to do and
confess our fears, our failures, our infidelities by praying these words to the One in whom
we live and move and have our being, and who sacrificed his body so that we might be
made whole.
Spirit of the resurrected Son of God,
through the fullness of your grace,
we receive membership in the body of Christ.
We confess that we often fail to appreciate the gift that the Body is:
frequently taking it for granted,
sometimes favouring certain parts over others,
repeatedly neglecting to exercise the good care it requires.
Forgive our weakness and shortcomings.
Remind us that we are all members of the one body
and if one member suffers, we all suffer.
Renew us, we pray, that we, as Your body,
may be the best evidence of your resurrection life and love
in our homes, our neighbourhoods, and our workplaces,
so that all creation might experience this
as the year of the Lord’s favour for all people.
We ask these mercies in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Pause your playback device. In the silence, what does the Spirit stir in your heart and soul?
As you quietly place before God those things that your attention is drawn to, listen for
what God says…
Listening Silence
OFFERINGS OF RECONCILIATION (taken from Ephesians 2:4-7, 13-19, 3:6)
Rich in mercy and with an incredible love, God embraced us.
God took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.
By grace we have been saved.
With his own body—dying that death, shedding that blood—
Christ has brought us peace.
Now, in union with Christ Jesus, you who once were far off and fragmented
have been brought back and made whole as members of his body.
Go forth refreshed and rejoicing: in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!SINGING ~ It Was Finished Upon That Cross How I love the voice of Jesus. On the cross of Calvary He declares his work is finished, He has spoken this hope to me. Though the sun had ceased its shining, Though the war appeared as lost, Christ had triumphed over evil! It was finished upon that cross! Now the curse it has been broken, Jesus paid the price for me. Full, the pardon he has offered, Great the welcome that I receive. Boldly I approach my Father, Clothed in Jesus’ righteousness. There is no more guilt to carry, It was finished upon that cross! Death was once my great opponent, Fear once had a hold on me, But the Son who died to save us Rose that we would be free indeed! Yes, He rose that we would be free indeed! Free from every plan of darkness, Free to live and free to love. Death is dead and Christ is risen! It was finished upon that cross! Onward to eternal glory, To my Saviour and my God, I rejoice in Jesus’ victory. It was finished upon that cross! —CityAlight
PRAYING OUR STORY (adapted from a prayer by Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth, pp. 106-107)
You’ve likely heard it said, “Don’t just stand there. Do something!” It’s an apt phrase for
members of Christ’s body. Another fitting slogan might be, “Don’t just stand there. Pray
something!” As the people of God, one of the best things we can do in and for this world
of ours is to pray. Let’s do that together:
Holy God,
who calls the worlds into being,
who calls us into Christ’s church;
we thank you for the church that is our true home,
for the mission of the church that is our true joy, and
for the ministry of the church that is our proper task.
We thank you for the ministry of the church in our particular places,
for pastors and people who over time
have named your name and lived your life.
We thank you for the ministry of Highland Community Church,
for its steadfastness over time,
for its faithful witness in the struggle for justice and peace, and
for its durable walk in caring ways.
We thank you for the many ways of ministry that are faithfully
practiced in praise of you beyond our sight,
and sometimes out beyond our range of acceptance,
for those more radical than us,
for those more cautious than us,
for those in traditions strange to us,
for faith families who care in ways other than our own.
Pause your playback device and take a few moments to name at least one way
in which you’ve been cared for by members of the Body of Christ.
☩Continue praying together:
Easter God,
We pray this day for all those who stand in need of ministry:
for the sick and the dying,
for the powerful who are bewildered,
for the poor who lack so much we take for granted,
for the brutalized who wait for relief.
Pause your playback device and in the quiet do
two things that will get you functioning within the Body of Christ:
1. Name the people and situations for which you are concerned.
2. Ask God to show you one person you should connect with,
or one thing you should do, this week.
☩
Let’s offer up ourselves and all that we have received by praying the following words:
Living God,
we pray your mighty spirit upon us,
that we may more fully engage our baptism,
that we may accept the costs that belong to our life with you,
that we may embrace the joys that only you can give.
Move us beyond ourselves, our favourite cliches,
our tired resentments,
our worn habits,
to your newness.
Make us ready, make us open,
that we would grow up to be properly fit together,
strong and working together in every way in your body.
May our faces grow fuller in glory and joy,
as we transform and supplement one another in love,
that we may become a resounding doxology
through your passion and into your victory.
We pray in the name of Jesus crucified and risen, the lord and head of the church.
Amen.BLESSING
Brothers and sisters, Christ is risen!
Singing:
As members of Christ’s body,
go out into the world to love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;
have courage;
hold onto what is good;
return no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the suffering;
honour all persons;
tend to creation;
insofar as you are able, live peaceably with all.
And may Christ,
who lives forever in glory,
and whose very breath and blood flow through us,
nourish us so that we will grow up healthy in God,
put together in one whole piece, robust in love.
Amen.SINGING ~ We are Not Overcome
Flesh will fail and bones will break,
Thieves will steal, the earth will shake,
Night will fall, the light will fade;
The Lord will give and take away.
Because of His great Love we are not overcome.
Because of His great Love we are not overcome.
Put no trust in the earth,
In the sod you stand upon,
Flowers fade into dust;
The Lord will make a place for us.
Offer up your shoes and shirt,
Turn your cheek, O, turn your cheek,
Bear the yoke of love and death;
The Lord will give all life and breath. —Bifrost Arts, performed by
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