Worship Resources for Sunday April 26th

We encourage you to read and reflect on these scriptures, songs, notes, and prayers as we look forward to our time of worship together this coming Sunday.

Please print this guide or have it handy in digital format for use during the service.

And don’t forget to join us Sunday immediately following the service in our virtual foyer for a group video chat! https://us04web.zoom.us/j/202653556

SERMON SCRIPTURE

In the days leading up to our Sunday gathering, please read through the sermon scripture as the Holy Spirit prepares your heart for the sermon inspired by this passage.

John 21:1-19 (NRSV)

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

MUSIC

The music selections this week were two songs scheduled to be introduced for our corporate worship gathering during the Easter season. While I miss singing these songs together with you, may they still be a blessing to you in the weeks to come.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Bold lines to be read aloud corporately.

We enter a virtual gathering space once again this season.
We worship together in spirit and in truth, though not in person.
We pray, sing, and listen to God’s Word despite the uncertainty that pervades our community.
We trust Christ’s peace, a peace given freely, despite our doubts and fears.
We know the Holy Spirit is among us, blowing with a hopeful wind of change.
We feel the presence of Christ, the one who died and rose again, and brings us eternal life.
We submit to God’s leading in this time of transformation.
We experience the joy of Easter morning when we celebrate all God has in store for us.

(By Rev. Dr. Libby Grammar)

CONFESSIONAL PRAYER

Bold lines to be read aloud corporately.

Holy God, we confess that we do not trust You fully. We put our hope in worldly gain and in human promises, and find ourselves defeated and lost when things fall apart. You have given us a love more fully than anything we could experience in this world but we do not seek it, we do not hold on to it, and we look to our own means of assurance and security.
Forgive us.
Call us back to You that we may put our trust in You and not be afraid.
May we quiet our own uncertainty and concerns, seeing you as our constant companion on the journey. May we see you fully revealed in our midst as our risen savior.

(Inspired by Luke 24:13-35)

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

You are God’s Beloved; with you, God is well pleased. You are renewed and restored. You are forgiven and loved. You are a new creation in Christ, everything old has passed away; see, everything is becoming new. (Inspired by 2 Corinthians 5:17)

All: Thanks be to God

SERMON NOTES

The Uprising Of Discipleship
John 21:1-19 (NRSV)

DO YOU LOVE ME?

Peter fell apart the night Jesus was arrested. When armed guards arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter panicked, grab his sword and cut off a man’s ear. Jesus showed compassion for the injured man and healed the man’s wound. Jesus showed compassion for Peter by reminding him that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

Later that night, Peter was asked three times if he knew Jesus or was associated with his movement. Three times Peter denied knowing Jesus.

For the attentive reader, the conversation recorded in John 21 is meant to remind us of those events just a few days earlier.

Three times Peter had denied Jesus, then three times Peter had an opportunity to confess his love for Jesus and receive forgiveness.

Jesus didn’t just offer Peter forgiveness, he invited him to participate in his work.

In the same way that a long night of fishing disappears with a big catch, Peter’s past failures had vanished with the forgiveness of Christ and the invitation to participate in his work.

In the uprising of Jesus, we aren’t defined by our past, we are offered the simple invitation to “Follow him.”

FOLLOW ME

The invitation to “follow me” is always caught up in the present. No matter what has taken place in the past, we can heed the instruction to follow him at this moment.

In this way, “Follow me” captures the essence of discipleship! Disciple means follower, student, learner, or one who imitates the teacher. For the uprising of Jesus to endure, we need to follow the ways of Jesus and invite others to do the same by way of example.

My encouragement to each of us is to not stop at confession of our love for Jesus, but to answer the invitation of Jesus to be his disciple. To be learners, followers, apprentices. Even when it isn’t easy. Even when the ways of Jesus seem to conflict with the ways of nation.

In this journey of following Jesus we must be willing to give ourselves grace. Perhaps Jesus picked a group of fisherman to be his first disciples because they knew what it was like to fail and keep trying. They had experienced long nights with no catch and were willing to go back the next night to try again. This is what the life of faith is like. It isn’t just all easy growth in faith with clear answers to our deepest questions. There are seasons of doubt with no clear answers. There are seasons of hard work for the kingdom of God with no clear results. But those fisherman kept mentoring others in the way of Jesus, kept proclaiming the good news of Jesus, kept doing their best to serve as examples of what it’s like to follow him. And here we are centuries later, gathered through an internet broadcast proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

May this uprising centered on Jesus be one of fellowship that welcomes all people. And may it also be an uprising of discipleship where we stumble along the road of following Jesus.

COMMUNION

Prepare the elements of “bread” and “wine” for use as we gather around The Lord’s Table. These can be any items convenient around the home that symbolize these for you. 

CONFESSION OF FAITH

Leader: In unity with the Church throughout the ages, we confess our faith: 
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

BENEDICTION

Go now as those who have met with Christ in the morning of this day.
Go now as those whose hearts have burned within them, as the Scriptures were explained.
Go now as those who have been touched by resurrection.
And may the blessing of God
be upon you, body, mind and spirit,
as you leave this place,
Amen.

(Written by Ann Siddall)